Apple warns Mac and iPad shortages could continue through the holidays

Apple is warning that Mac and iPad supply could remain constrained through the holiday quarter, raising the possibility of longer waits for some of the company’s newest products during the busiest shopping period of the year.

Speaking during Apple’s fiscal Q4 earnings call, Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan said Apple expects constraints on Mac and iPad during the December quarter, with memory availability now the main pressure point.

Apple says demand has been higher than expected. The warning arrives just days before the new M6 iMac, M6 14-inch MacBook Pro, touchscreen PROLED XDR MacBook Pro models and OLED iPad mini begin arriving to customers on November 6.

The company faced supply constraints across iPhone, Mac and iPad during the September quarter as well, although Apple says pressure on advanced chip-production nodes is easing as more products move to its latest 2nm silicon.

Memory has now become the bigger issue. CEO John Ternus described current memory pricing as “unprecedented,” while Apple says purchase prices are likely to keep rising beyond the December quarter. Apple has already raised prices across iPhone, Mac and iPad to offset some of those costs.

For buyers considering a new MacBook Pro, the timing is particularly notable. Apple’s new Touch MacBook Pro introduces PROLED XDR, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a thinner design and up to 24 hours of battery life, while the lower-priced 14-inch MacBook Pro moves to M6.

Apple has not said which individual Mac or iPad models are most likely to be affected, or whether shipping estimates will lengthen after launch. The company is nevertheless forecasting the biggest revenue quarter in its history, suggesting demand remains strong despite the supply pressure.