A lot might be changing in the world of Macs. Apple is reportedly looking to level up its laptops to something beyond a MacBook Pro. The next high-end model could be christened with the name MacBook Ultra and offer a touch-screen interface, if rumors are true.
Reports have also pointed to upgrades coming for the iMac to refresh the lineup with new colors. There are also expectations that Apple will give its Mac Mini and Mac Studio lineup an upgrade for the new M5 chipsets.
Watch this: Apple’s Next Macs: MacBook Ultra Plus 3 More Macs We Expect
In this week’s One More Thing, embedded above, we go over the new Mac models that might come this year — or maybe some will be pushed to next year. The global RAM shortage is putting a strain on supply, driven by the surge in demand for generative AI tools.
Memory shortage is already taking a toll on the supply of Mac Mini and Mac Studio. Some variants of these computers have been disappearing from Apple’s product lineup — both the most expensive and cheapest models are no longer available, with other high-end configurations seeing longer-than-usual shipping wait times, stretching in some cases up to 12 weeks.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors in a recent earnings call that it “may take several months” for the Mac Mini and Mac Studio to return to normal supply levels.
It may make you wonder whether to upgrade now. The lack of availability of some Mac models could also be a result of Apple scaling down production to prepare for a chip refresh of Macs soon.
In either case, deciding to buy a Mac desktop seems to be a bit of a waiting game. Maybe you’re willing to wait a few weeks to ship a current model with your ideal configuration of memory and storage. Or maybe, if you’re really patient, you’re waiting for Apple to launch a new batch.
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