MacBook Neo Reportedly Faces A18 Pro Chipset Shortage After Strong Demand

MacBook Neo supply pressure emerges

The MacBook Neo Reportedly Faces A18 Pro chipset shortage after strong sales of Apple’s newest laptop, according to a report by Taiwanese tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan. Apple has not commented officially, but the company has hinted that the MacBook Neo, launched just a month ago, has been a major hit.

The report says the first Neo model in the MacBook family may be paying for its own success. It suggests that demand has moved faster than supply, and that the shortage is tied to the binned A18 Pro chipset used in the device. The chip is the same family as the one in the iPhone 16 Pro, though the MacBook version uses a 5-core GPU instead of the original 6-core setup.

According to the report, Apple had initially planned to sell around five to six million units before winding down production and shifting to a next-generation model. That timetable now appears harder to manage because the successor is not expected for at least another year. For now, the company is dealing with a product that is moving quickly while the supply chain for its chip remains tight.

What the chip shortage could change

The report says Apple could face longer wait times for buyers if the shortage continues. On the Apple Online Store in India, delivery estimates for the MacBook Neo are currently over two weeks, which is longer than many other Apple products. Similar delays have also been reported in the US and other markets, suggesting the issue is not limited to one country.

There may also be limited availability for some configurations. The entry-level 256GB model, priced at Rs 69,900, could become harder to find if supply remains constrained. Culpan also raises the possibility, though not as an immediate outcome, that Apple could discontinue the base model and keep only the top-end 512GB storage and Touch ID variant.

Another option mentioned in the report is for Apple to reallocate chip resources from other products. That could help the MacBook Neo, but it may affect availability elsewhere in the lineup. The report also says Apple may have to pay a premium to restart A18 Pro chip production for the MacBook Neo, which would reduce profit margins.

MacBook Neo 2 remains a reported next step

The report also points to a possible MacBook Neo 2, though nothing is official. It is being stated that the next model may use a faster chipset and more RAM. The alleged laptop could feature the A19 Pro chipset from the iPhone 17 Pro, along with up to 12GB of RAM, according to the summary of the report.

• Current model: MacBook Neo
• Chipset: A18 Pro, binned to a 5-core GPU
• Manufacturing process: TSMC second-generation 3nm, or N3E
• Base storage option: 256GB
• Base price in India: Rs 69,900
• Reported delivery estimate in India: over two weeks
• Planned sales target before winding down: around 5 to 6 million units
• Possible successor: MacBook Neo 2
• Reported successor chip: A19 Pro
• Reported successor memory: up to 12GB RAM

The report says TSMC’s N3E production lines are operating at maximum capacity. That detail adds to the strain around the A18 Pro supply, though Apple has not publicly confirmed any shortage or production change. The situation remains tied to reported demand for the MacBook Neo and the timing of its next version, which is still said to be about a year away.

For now, the main development is that Apple’s most affordable laptop appears to be selling faster than expected, with supply under pressure across more than one market. The report suggests that Apple still has options, but each one carries a cost or a trade-off, and the company has not said which path it will take.

In recent days, the MacBook Neo has become one of Apple’s clearest supply stories, even as the company has not issued an official statement. The report leaves the picture open, but it does frame the device as a model with strong demand, limited chip availability, and a next-generation version still some distance away.

As of now, the MacBook Neo remains on sale, though the waiting period and configuration availability may shift if the reported A18 Pro shortage continues.