With the global memory shortage continuing to worsen, Apple has once again adjusted its desktop Mac product line and quietly removed two high-memory configuration models from the shelves. Currently, the Mac mini with 64GB of memory has been removed from Apple's online store, and the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB of memory is no longer an option for purchase.
After adjustments, the M3 Ultra version of Mac Studio only retains the 96GB memory configuration, and all higher-end memory upgrade options have been cancelled. At the same time, the estimated shipping time for both M3 Mac Studio and M4 Max Mac Studio has been postponed to 9 to 10 weeks, indicating that the supply situation is still very tight.
In the Mac mini product line, the maximum memory capacity of the M4 Pro model is limited to 48GB, and consumers can no longer purchase the 64GB memory version previously provided. Just last week, Apple removed the Mac mini with 256GB of SSD storage, making 512GB the lowest storage option in the line. The change effectively raises the entry price of the Mac mini from $599 to $799. As early as March and April this year, Apple had stopped accepting orders for some high-memory versions of Mac Studio and Mac mini.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously publicly stated that both Mac mini and Mac Studio will be in short supply in the coming months. He pointed out that judging from the current situation, it may take several months for these two products to rebalance between supply and demand. Cook also admitted that Apple underestimated user demand for a platform that natively runs AI and various intelligent agent tools. This demand has driven the sales of Mac mini and Mac Studio.
Cook also expects that memory costs will rise significantly in the coming period. Under this judgment, Apple "saves" limited memory supply by reducing configuration options and concentrates resources on fewer but more manageable configurations. Due to the soaring demand for large-capacity memory in AI servers, the global memory chip supply chain is under pressure and prices have risen sharply, which has triggered the current high prices and shortages, and has also been directly transmitted to the configuration strategy and delivery cycle of the consumer desktop Mac product line.