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2026-08-02 19:13 UTC → 2026-08-03 01:08 UTC ·
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In late July 2026 Apple launched a Apple’s fanless MacBook Air with its the new M5 chip, promoting it as a cost‑performance option for students and professionals amid a tight semiconductor market. Retailers offered discounts to encourage early purchases before a future M6 model arrived. Within days Apple reported limited availability of certain M5 Air configurations. The shortage was traced to launched in late July 2026, quickly ran into a global DRAM/HBM2 deficit DRAM shortage driven by AI data‑center demand, pushing demand. The deficit pushed delivery dates for some models many configurations into September. late August or early September, an unusual delay for a current‑generation laptop. Apple responded by raising Mac and iPad prices by $100‑$400, delaying several hundred dollars, postponing its Back‑to‑School back‑to‑school promotion, and steering customers toward the entry‑level 14‑inch M5 MacBook Pro to free capacity for the upcoming M6 refresh later in the year. refresh. The company also began sourcing memory chips from Chinese suppliers for locally sold devices and sold in China. Apple warned that the memory crunch could affect supply depress its September‑quarter sales and pricing overall growth, and analysts expect the constraints to linger through 2028. 2028, affecting pricing and availability across multiple markets. A next‑generation MacBook Air with an M6 chip remains slated for release the following year.