Apple’s MacBook Neo is an excellent piece of computing hardware, particularly for the price you’ll pay for one. Unfortunately, they’ll likely become harder to locate if a report by DigiTimes is accurate. Given the current state of the industry, the outlet probably has its facts correct.
The MacBook Neo is a surprisingly popular product from Apple, precisely because it’s more affordable. Initial responses to the launch saw the company ramp up its production to meet demand. Now, it seems, Apple will scale back on that. For component reasons.
Neo, there is no RAM
The ongoing semiconductor ‘shortage’ (which just means that AI companies are hogging all the chips) means that production outputs for lesser hardware are being cut by chip manufacturers. In this case, TSMC, the folks who make processors for all and sundry, are prioritising more lucrative hardware. Apple’s Apple A18 Pro chipset, which powers its affordable laptop, is set to become harder to get. Hence the cutbacks.
Overall, the DigiTimes report reckons that Apple will scale back production of its laptop by 40%. The American company doesn’t have to take that step, of course. It could always specify — and pay for — a production run of the A18 Pro to keep inventory levels high. Unfortunately (and this is a problem loads of tech makers are facing), that means significant odds of a price increase for the MacBook Neo. Which sort of defeats the point.
Apple has already said that its products will become more expensive this year. Tim Cook said recently, “There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases. We definitely need memory pricing and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That’s the bottom line.”
