Apple's new MacBook Neo, priced at $599, launched on March 11, 2026, and instantly sold out in many configurations. Consumers are now facing wait times measured in weeks, prompting the company to double its initial production run. Analyst Tim Culpan says Apple also needs to secure additional A18 Pro processors to keep the line moving.

Back‑order pressure stems from the Neo’s blend of a 13‑inch Retina display, 8‑core CPU and 16 GB of unified memory, all while retaining a sub‑£1,000 price tag. However, DRAM costs have risen since the first batch, meaning each unit now costs more to assemble. Culpan warns Apple may have to choose between preserving margins or raising the entry price.

Apple’s response—doubling output and ordering chips with an extra GPU core that can be disabled—shows how vital the Neo’s affordability is to its market strategy. If the company maintains the $599 baseline, it will need to absorb higher component costs; otherwise, a shift to the $699 512 GB model could reshape its entry‑level Mac lineup.

The supply squeeze also ripples through Apple’s broader ecosystem, as the same A18 Pro silicon powers the iPhone 16 Pro. Securing additional wafers may pressure Apple’s foundry partners and could influence future chip allocations across product lines. For buyers, the immediate takeaway is a longer wait unless they opt for higher‑priced configurations now available.