Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo is flying off shelves so fast that the company is racing to boost production while grappling with rising costs on pricier chips. Semiconductor analyst Tim Calpan from Culpium reveals that supply is expected to hit 10 million units, but delivery times have already stretched to two or three weeks on Apple’s official site.
The issue isn’t demand-Apple initially capitalized on leftover A18 Pro chips designed for the iPhone 16 Pro by disabling one GPU core to create a budget-friendly CPU for the MacBook Neo. But those surplus chips have dried up. Moving forward, Apple must purchase new A18 Pro processors directly from TSMC at full price. This is a classic industry scenario: affordable products built from flagship chip rejects keep prices low only until the stockpile runs out.
MacBook Neo pricing and configurations
- Base MacBook Neo with 256GB storage starts at $599.
- Within Apple’s education program, the same model is priced at $499.
- 512GB configuration is priced at around $699 retail or $599 for education.
- Apple has already ramped production targets to 10 million units.
Apple’s most likely strategy is subtle – rather than hike prices across the lineup abruptly, the company may quietly discontinue the lowest-end model and let the more expensive configurations become the new entry point. This approach echoes previous moves like the Mac mini lineup adjustments and fits Apple’s usual playbook.
Impact of switching from A18 Pro to A19 Pro chips
There’s an alternative that could work in Apple’s favor if supplies hold out: transitioning future MacBook Neo production to the newer A19 Pro chip, also with one GPU core disabled. This would potentially boost performance while avoiding the need to buy last year’s A18 Pro chips from TSMC at premium prices. It could keep the price tag at around $699 for the 512GB variant.
This pattern fits Apple’s typical supply chain playbook: start with an affordable laptop catering to mass and educational markets, sell through leftover chips at a bargain, then once those run dry, accounting demands push prices up and influence product design more than marketing does. That’s why Apple’s most popular MacBook may soon be less accessible – thanks to chip shortages pushing prices higher.