Apple’s Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops have faced growing supply challenges throughout 2024. Multiple configurations on Apple’s official website are now marked as “currently unavailable”—a rarity for the company—while others show shipping delays of weeks or even months for new orders.
In a particularly notable case, Apple delisted the top-tier Mac Studio model with 512GB of RAM from its online store entirely.
The issue was discussed during Apple’s Q2 earnings call on May 2, 2024, where CEO Tim Cook addressed broader component shortages and their impact on product availability.
Demand for AI and Agentic Tools Outpaces Supply
Cook pointed to the surge in demand for local AI and agentic computing as a key driver of the shortage:
"Both [the Mac mini and the Mac Studio] are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools, and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher-than-expected demand."
He added:
"We think looking forward that the Mac mini and the Mac Studio may take several months to reach supply-demand balance."
This suggests that customers looking to purchase these systems for AI workloads may continue to face delays well into the second half of 2024.
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