Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo could be at risk from rising RAM prices

The MacBook Neo might lose its most appealing trait thanks to the ongoing RAM shortage. According to analyst Tim Culpan, Apple could discontinue the budget-priced $599 base configuration of the Neo, leaving only the $699 model with 512GB of storage. Earlier this week, Apple similarly stopped selling the most affordable configuration of the Mac mini, effectively bumping its starting price up to $799. In March, Apple removed the option for 512GB of RAM in the Mac Studio, likely also as a result of RAM shortages.

Ironically, the MacBook Neo could face similar pricing changes because of its huge initial success. The Neo arrived right as the RAM shortage is pushing up prices for competitors’ laptops (and just about everything else), and the laptop has been such a hit that there’s currently a two to three-week wait for it to ship on Apple’s website. In response to this, Culpan says Apple is doubling production for the Neo to 10 million units, rather than the 5 to 6 million it initially planned for.

The first batch of Neos used A18 Pro chips leftover from the iPhone 16 Pro, but Apple will need to order more for the second batch of Neos. Between the cost of producing more A18 Pro chips and higher costs for other components due to the RAM shortage, this second batch of MacBook Neos will be more expensive for Apple to produce. Unfortunately, that cost could end up getting passed on to consumers.