Apple’s U.S. online store is currently showing extended delivery estimates of up to 4–5 months for several configured versions of the Mac mini and Mac Studio, particularly models upgraded with higher amounts of unified memory.
The delays appear to be tied to a broader global shortage of memory chips, which has been intensified by rapidly growing demand from AI infrastructure companies. Large-scale AI servers require significant amounts of high-performance RAM, putting pressure on global supply chains and reducing availability for consumer devices.
As a result, Apple customers ordering higher-memory configurations of its desktop Macs are experiencing significantly longer shipping timelines compared to base models, which remain more readily available.
Delivery delays for Apple’s desktop Macs are becoming more noticeable, especially for higher-memory configurations of the Mac mini and Mac Studio.
For instance, a Mac mini with an M4 Pro chip and 64GB of RAM ordered today in the U.S. is currently estimated to ship in about 16–18 weeks. Even the base $599 Mac mini with an M4 chip and 16GB of RAM is showing roughly a one-month delay.
The situation is even more pronounced for higher-end systems like the Mac Studio with an M3 Ultra chip and 256GB of RAM, which is estimated to ship in 4–5 months, with in-store pickup not available until September in some cases.
These extended timelines come amid a global shortage of memory chips, largely driven by surging demand from AI server infrastructure that relies heavily on large-capacity RAM configurations. This increased demand has tightened supply across the industry, affecting consumer hardware availability as well.
Apple has also made adjustments to its configuration lineup, including reportedly removing the 512GB RAM option for the Mac Studio last month, likely reflecting supply constraints.
While memory prices are beginning to stabilize or slightly decline in some markets, they remain elevated compared to historical norms. As a result, analysts expect that delivery delays for high-memory Mac configurations may persist for some time rather than improve quickly.