Mac Mini Availability: Long Waits and Higher Prices

Three months ago, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that the institution had been caught disconnected defender by the crisp summation successful request for the Mac Mini. Cook said it whitethorn instrumentality “several months” to drawback up with demand, fueled by a roar successful radical utilizing the compact machine for section AI workloads.

Now, portion the concern has improved slightly, things are acold from normal. At its worst, the basal configuration of the Mac Mini was wholly sold retired connected Apple’s storefront. This is existent astatine third-party retailers similar Amazon oregon Best Buy. Apple has them backmost successful banal for a portion present connected Apple.com, but dilatory shipping times inactive amusement however dire the concern is.

Longer Waits

When buying straight from Apple, the cheapest Mac Mini with lone 16 GB of RAM ships successful 3 to 4 weeks. A MacBook Air from Apple with the aforesaid 16 GB of RAM configuration has a transportation model of 2 to 3 weeks—same arsenic the MacBook Neo with 8 GB of RAM.

RAM is the superior contributing origin to the delays, arsenic the waits get longer arsenic capableness increases. Mac Mini configurations with 36 GB of RAM person hold times of astir a month, portion 48 GB of representation volition instrumentality 3 months oregon longer to vessel to customers. Meanwhile, a Mac Studio with 48 GB of representation takes an estimated “13 to 14 weeks” to arrive. That's an incredibly agelong clip to wait. These higher-end representation configurations aren't adjacent connected connection astatine Amazon oregon Best Buy.

The hold times whitethorn enactment Apple successful struggle with its adjacent update of the Mac Mini and Mac Studio. Apple has not updated the Mac Mini since October 2024, but rumors person been pointing to an M5 spot update this fall. That means if you bid an M4 Mac Mini close now, you could person it aft the newer exemplary has been announced. That's however acold down Apple has go successful gathering demand.

The fastest mode to get a Mac Mini close present is done Amazon. While configuration options are limited, you tin bargain an M4 Mac Mini with 24 GB of RAM and 512 GB of retention and person it shipped successful conscionable a fewer days. You'll beryllium paying $1,570, which is $471 much than what the Apple Store is charging. You tin besides get the M4 Pro Mac Mini for $1,570, which is lone $100 much than Apple's prices and delivers wrong a week and a half. These are truly the lone models I urge buying astatine this point.

Even Higher Prices

Prices person accrued crossed the committee connected each Macs. At the opening of May, Apple softly discontinued the starting configuration of the Mac Mini, which utilized to travel with 256 GB of retention and outgo $599. This meant the starting terms for a Mac Mini instantly jumped to $799.

Skip up to the extremity of June, and the 256-GB configuration has been brought backmost for $100 much astatine $699 (while the 512-GB exemplary is besides present up $100 to $899), successful enactment with the terms increases made to MacBooks. But the Mac Studio is wherever things person go precise expensive. The starting terms of the M4 Max Mac Studio went up to $2,499, a $500 hike. The astir almighty option, the M3 Ultra Mac Studio, went from $3,999 to $5,299. Not lone are we inactive waiting months for these devices, but they present besides outgo up to 25 percent more.