The Mac mini shortage isn’t over. Three months after Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that the company was caught off guard by demand, buyers are still stuck waiting.
Base models are easier to find now than they were in the spring, but bump up the memory, and you could wait months. Prices have climbed, too, thanks to the ongoing global memory chip shortage.
Mac mini shortage means longer waits, even for base models
Apple’s Mac lineup has entered an unusual limbo. Demand remains so strong, and memory chips so scarce, that some customers could receive next-generation hardware before the computer they order today even ships. The prolonged Mac mini shortage in particular highlights how the AI boom is reshaping the PC market, after the affordable desktop machine became the go-to computer for running models locally.
That combination of factors forced Apple to raise prices and stretch delivery windows, sometimes to preposterous lengths.
Order a base Mac mini today, and Apple estimates it’ll ship in about a month. That’s actually the good news. Push past 32GB of memory, and things get ugly real fast. Some Mac mini configurations with the M4 Pro chip and 64GB of RAM currently show wait times of 16 to 18 weeks.
The Mac Studio’s availability looks even worse. High-memory versions with the M3 Ultra chip show delivery windows of four to five months.
That’s not a typo. Order one of those high-end configurations today, and it might not show up until this winter.
An M5 update could beat your Mac mini to your door
Apple hasn’t updated the Mac mini since October 2024. That’s a pretty long time by Apple’s standards.
Rumors point toward a new M5 or M5 Pro version landing by this October or November. Some earlier reports suggested Apple wanted to release the refreshed version at WWDC26, but delayed it due to the ongoing memory shortage.
The timing of all this puts buyers in an awkward spot. Order an M4 Mac mini now, and there’s a chance Apple upgrades the computer before your unit ships.
It’s a frustrating position for anyone trying to time their purchase.
Mac prices just went up, and it’s not a small bump
Just over a month ago, Apple raised prices across nearly its entire Mac and iPad lineup. The base Mac mini, now back with a 256GB storage option, costs $799. That’s $200 more than the old $599 starting price. The 512GB option jumped to $999, while the M4 Pro Mac mini now starts at $1,599, up from $1,399.
Mac Studio buyers got hit even harder. The M4 Max model starts at $2,499, adding $500 to its old price. On the other hand, the M3 Ultra model now costs $5,299, jumping by $1,300.
Blame memory chips
Apple called the price hikes unavoidable. “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly,” the company told The Wall Street Journal in June.
Memory and storage prices have surged since late 2025. AI data centers continue to buy up RAM and NAND at a pace manufacturers can’t match. At the same time, Apple’s compact desktops became surprisingly popular among AI power users.
The outlook isn’t encouraging either. Earlier this month, SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung predicted 2027 will be the memory industry’s “worst year” for shortages. He said he expects demand to outpace supply well beyond 2030.
Should you buy a Mac mini right now?
If you need a Mac today, you should stick to modest configurations. Base and mid-tier models still ship the fastest.
Skip high-RAM builds unless you’re prepared to wait months for delivery. If you can hold off, waiting for the rumored M5 Mac mini might be the smarter move, even if it likely costs more than the current model.
Tim Cook should address the situation later today during the company’s earnings call.
