MacBook Air supply constrained by global memory chip shortage

Apple’s MacBook Air, its most popular computer, faces severe supply constraints as a global memory chip shortage intensifies, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on August 2, 2026. Retailers say availability of the laptop is more limited than ever, with delivery times on Apple’s website stretching into the second half of August for base models and into September for some configurations.

The shortage, fueled by soaring demand for memory chips from artificial intelligence companies, had already squeezed supplies of Apple’s Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops. Apple is raising prices and sourcing memory from Chinese suppliers in response, Gurman said. The company also postponed its annual back-to-school promotion from June and, for the first time, is steering marketing toward the base MacBook Pro, with materials warning that the MacBook Air is “subject to availability.”