Apple may have created a very funny problem for itself with the MacBook Neo, its latest machine with a budget price. The laptop is reportedly selling so well that the company could run short on the specific A18 Pro chips used to power it.
MacBook Neo Is Selling So Well That Apple May Have To Think The Cheap-Mac Formula
Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan notes in his latest Culpium newsletter, the current MacBook Neo relies on A18 Pro chips with a 5-core GPU. Apple had reportedly planned production around five to six million units before moving on. If the demand is stronger than expected, that supply plan may no longer hold up as it was supposed to.
This is where the issue emerges, as Apple may have to pay more to restart A18 Pro production, which means shifting the focus away from other products or accepting lower profit margins on the MacBook Neo. None of these options sound ideal for a laptop being pushed so heavily on affordability.
The company is also unlikely to drop the $599 pricing model right now because it is leaning hard on that price as the MacBook Neo’s biggest selling point. If it stays true, Apple may have to solve the supply chain issue without touching the headline price.
The A19 Pro MacBook Neo With 12GB RAM Rumor Feels More Like A Solution Than A Normal Refresh
Apart from the potential shortages, Culpan also stated that a new MacBook Neo is expected next year with an A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the current model. It is also expected to keep using a binned 5-core GPU version of the chip.
On its own, this sounds like a standard yearly refresh, but in this context, it feels more like Apple already knows the Neo cannot stay a clever leftover-chip machine forever. The product may be turning into something much bigger than a one-off low-cost Mac experiment.
All in all, Apple’s cheap MacBook strategy may already be too successful for its original plan. This is a great problem to have, actually, and it also suggests that the MacBook Neo could be evolving into a real long-term Mac category much faster than we originally anticipated. What are your thoughts on the matter?
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