After over a month of availability, the new M2 MacBook Air is still in high demand and in relatively short supply. Customers may have to wait up to three weeks for only the basic configuration, according to Apple's online shop.
For the entry-level model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, Apple states that the MacBook Air will ship in the US in two to three weeks. One to two weeks are listed for other configurations with various storage and memory options.
The delay comes just in time for kids getting ready for school this autumn, since Apple is presently promoting a Back to School campaign. The new MacBook Air's slim and lightweight design, along with the performance and battery life made possible by the M2 CPU, may make it a desirable purchase for students.
Apple has been dealing with a tight supply chain lately, but things appear to be improving. Other than the new MacBook Air, which has a lengthy wait, most other Macs in Apple's lineup are still readily available for shipping without a lengthy delay.
The two exceptions are the most expensive Mac Studio and the 24-inch iMac with the M1 chip. According to Apple's store at the time of writing, the Mac Studio is listed with shipping estimates far into at least one month, and consumers searching for an iMac face a three to four week delay.
Apple's Mac business had severe constraints in the third quarter of the year. According to the company's CEO, Tim Cook, it was challenging to determine the actual demand for Apple's most recent machines because Mac supplies was so low for the quarter. Tim mentioned the following on the most recent earnings call for the business:
If you want to test the demand, you really need to have the supply first. Since we were so far away from the previous quarter, we can only estimate what the demand was. We are aware of the state of the market, believe that the Mac has a terrific story with the release of M1 and now M2, and have a really solid offering for the start of the school year. We'll see how we perform this quarter. In October, we'll update you.
Mac revenue dropped from $8.2 billion to $7.3 billion in the third quarter of 2022.
Associated Roundup Buyer's Guide for MacBook Air: MacBook Air (Buy Now)
Associated Forum: Air MacBook
