Mac Studio backlog 16–18 weeks

Apple’s U.S. online store stopped accepting orders in April for some higher-memory Mac Studio and Mac mini configurations after delivery estimates for other models stretched as long as 16 to 18 weeks, according to checks published by MacRumors, 9to5Mac and TrendForce. MacRumors reported on April 6 that many Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations with upgraded memory were showing delivery estimates of up to four to five months in the United States, including a Mac mini with an M4 Pro chip and 64GB of RAM that was quoted at 16 to 18 weeks. April 11 brought a sharper supply signal. MacRumors and 9to5Mac both reported that Apple’s U.S. storefront had switched some higher-memory systems to “currently unavailable,” meaning customers could no longer place orders for them at all. The affected systems included Mac mini configurations with 32GB or 64GB of RAM and Mac Studio configurations with 128GB or 256GB of RAM, according to the two reports. Apple’s current U.S. (macrumors.com) Mac Studio purchase page no longer shows 128GB or 256GB as selectable memory options on the standard configurator snapshot returned today. The Apple page lists memory choices of 36GB, 64GB and 96GB on the Mac Studio buy page, while the lineup page identifies current Mac Studio families built around M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips. Apple’s public pages viewed today do not explain the earlier April shortages or say whether the missing higher-memory options were removed permanently or are temporarily unavailable. (macrumors.com) TrendForce, citing Chinese media reports and U.S. storefront checks, said on April 7 that Apple was facing mounting pressure from surging memory prices and tight supply. Its report said China store delivery times for high-memory Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations had stretched to four to five months and that U.S. pickup windows for some high-end models had slipped as far as September. TrendForce also cited earlier reporting that Apple had removed the Mac Studio’s 512GB unified memory option and said the cost to move from 96GB to 256GB on a top-tier M3 Ultra Mac Studio had risen to $2,000 from $1,600. (apple.com) MacRumors attributed the delays to a severe global memory chip shortage driven by demand from companies building AI servers, and 9to5Mac said the affected machines were the models with the highest memory configurations. Those publications also noted speculation that Apple could be nearing an M5 refresh for the Mac mini and Mac Studio, but neither cited Apple confirming a launch schedule. The social-media claim that shortages are specifically tied to HBM supplier constraints could not be independently verified from Apple, and Apple has not publicly linked Mac Studio or Mac mini availability to HBM in the materials reviewed. (trendforce.com) Apple has not publicly announced a new Mac Studio or Mac mini since those April availability changes, based on the Apple product pages reviewed today. For buyers tracking what comes next, the clearest public markers remain Apple’s online configurator, which reflects what memory tiers can actually be ordered, and any future product announcements from Apple covering Mac Studio or Mac mini updates. (apple.com) (macrumors.com)