Buying an M5 MacBook Air? You may have to wait longer, here's why

If you’ve been planning to buy Apple’s latest M5 MacBook Air, getting one immediately may not be as easy as before. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s most popular Mac is now facing supply issues as the global memory shortage continues to affect the tech industry. Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro to be Apple's most expensive Pro iPhone yet?

The report by Bloomberg says that the shortage issue, which was earlier impacting Apple’s niche products such as the Mac Mini and Mac Studio, is now impacting the MacBook Air too. In fact, some retailers reportedly say they have never seen the MacBook Air this difficult to keep in stock. Also Read: iPhones price hike expected soon! Should you buy one right now?

Surprisingly, the shortages come after Apple recently increased prices across several Mac models. The M5 MacBook Air had already received a price revision earlier this year, and Apple later raised prices again as rising component costs continued to put pressure on the company’s hardware business.
According to reports, even the higher prices haven’t completely offset the increased cost of memory and storage components. Apple is now said to be looking at additional ways to manage supply, including sourcing memory from more suppliers.

MacBook Air shortage: Why is it happening?

The biggest reason appears to be the ongoing global shortage of memory chips. Over the past few months, demand for high-end memory has increased sharply, largely because AI companies are buying huge volumes of advanced chips for data centres. As a result, memory suppliers have been prioritising enterprise customers, leaving fewer components available for consumer devices.

The situation has also raised the prices of SSDs and DDR5 memory, increasing manufacturing costs for laptop makers, including Apple. According to the report, Apple is also giving priority to the production of the base M5 MacBook Pro ahead of its expected refresh later this year, which may have further reduced the availability of the MacBook Air.

MacBook Air Delivery Timelines

As per the report, several M5 MacBook Air configurations listed on Apple’s website now have delivery estimates stretching to the second half of August. Some variants are even showing availability in September. Apple has reportedly acknowledged the limited availability in its latest back-to-school campaign as well. Unlike previous years, the company’s promotional material is said to focus more on the base MacBook Pro, while also carrying a note that the MacBook Air is subject to availability.

Add Techlusive as a Preferred Source

Should you wait? 

If you’re planning to buy the M5 MacBook Air, availability could remain limited for some time. While third-party retailers may still have stock, reports suggest those inventories could also become limited if the current supply situation continues. One thing that you must note is that Apple hasn’t officially commented on the reported shortages. But if the memory crunch continues, then you may have to see longer waiting periods and even more price changes.