If you want a custom Mac Studio or MacBook Pro, expect to wait up to three months

AppleInsider

Orders for anything but the base specification of the Mac Studio or MacBook Pro are now facing significant delays.

Apple's online Configure to Order options for the Mac Studio, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro have all been delayed. Similar to when the devices were first released, each is now backordered for anywhere up to "10 to 12 weeks," according to Apple's online store.

Currently a base 16-inch MacBook Pro can be ordered and picked up today, while the base M1 Max Mac Studio can be delivered in eight days. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro is typically now estimated be delivered from June 27 to July 12.

The base M1 Ultra Mac Studio is the same June 27 to July 12.

It's the configured options that show much greater wait times. Making any change whatsoever -- from choosing a different processor, to adding software -- and the dates at present change to:

• M1 Max Mac Studio: June 24 to July 1


• M1 Ultra Mac Studio: "10-12 weeks"


• 14-inch MacBook Pro: July 6 to July 21


• 16-inch MacBook Pro: July 6 to July 21

Apple's Studio Display is also seeing delays, with all configurations -- different stands, optional nanotexture screen -- taking 8-10 weeks to ship.

These sorts of delays are now familiar when a device has just been launched, and it's a demonstration of the original demand. There can be similarly lengthening shipping dates when Apple is running down stocks in preparation for new devices, but none of these models are likely to be replaced for a long time.

It's possible, then, that the delays are due to the global chip shortage, or perhaps from China's coronavirus lockdown procedures halting production at many suppliers.

Units in stock and on sale at Apple resellers

Despite prolonged backorder delays at Apple, Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama has numerous MacBook Pro models in stock and ready to ship with discounts of up to $300 off.

To activate the deals, shop through the cost-saving activation link above or the Adorama pricing links in our Mac Price Guide and enter promo code APINSIDER during checkout.

The standard Mac Studio is also in stock at Adorama, with the APINSIDER coupon code knocking $50 off AppleCare.

For detailed activation instructions, please see our step-by-step guide to redeeming the coupon.

Read on AppleInsider

mikethemartian

I noticed that looking at the 128GB model with 4TB drive. Since you cannot upgrade it later you can’t just buy a model that is available now and upgrade after the supply chain issues have abated.

appleish

okypinoky said:

We are quickly getting into an era where these delays are commonplace, and perhaps even accepted.  I have waited nearly 7 months for my custom MacBook Pro and have begun to wonder ... at what point do we see such delays as unmanageable and simply wait for 'the next version'?  The delays are understandable, but can also be managed by a country who technology sent man to the moon in 19 (wait for it ....) 69.  While current profits do not show it, I think we may be fast approaching a period whereby customers simply say, why bother, and wait for a future upgrades in a period where shipping is greatly reduced.

Seven Months? Ok... I ordered my custom build MBP seven months ago and received it the next month. 

keithw

It's not just Apple. Just try to get a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera.  It may be 6 months or more before you get one.

hmlongco

okypinoky said:

We are quickly getting into an era where these delays are commonplace, and perhaps even accepted.  I have waited nearly 7 months for my custom MacBook Pro and have begun to wonder ... at what point do we see such delays as unmanageable and simply wait for 'the next version'?  .

Uhh... how does that help? When the next version appears you'll probably need to wait for it too.

10 goto 10

mpantone

okypinoky said:

The delays are understandable, but can also be managed by a country who technology sent man to the moon in 19 (wait for it ....) 69.

I was not aware that the People's Republic of China sent a man to the moon in 1969. 

Note that it's Apple who manages their supply chain not the country (and yes, I know you intended to say the USA). 

Could you imagine if Congress managed Apple's supply chain? It would be twenty years late with cost overruns of 500%. 

Congress cannot tell TSMC to make more chips for Apple nor can it tell Foxconn to hire more workers nor can it tell Beijing to stop with the COVID-19 lockdowns.

edited May 2022

david h dennis

mikethemartian said:

I noticed that looking at the 128GB model with 4TB drive. Since you cannot upgrade it later you can’t just buy a model that is available now and upgrade after the supply chain issues have abated.

When I was last at an Apple Store, I noticed the M1 Max MacBook Pro was available as a pre-packaged system with that configuration.  (At that time the Mac Studio was not yet introduced.). You might want to check an Apple Store and see if they have a pre-packaged system in stock for you.

wrbluepearl

Places like Adorama and B&H Photo also stock Macs with upgraded RAM/SSD that are normally considered "custom" configurations.

hmlongco

okypinoky said:

hmlongco said:

okypinoky said:

We are quickly getting into an era where these delays are commonplace, and perhaps even accepted.  I have waited nearly 7 months for my custom MacBook Pro and have begun to wonder ... at what point do we see such delays as unmanageable and simply wait for 'the next version'?  .

Uhh... how does that help? When the next version appears you'll probably need to wait for it too.

10 goto 10

Glad you see my point.

Actually, I don't. Just had the situation today where a new hire needed a new machine and we can't simply wait, as you suggested, until the shipping times "get better".

mrstep

I've seen predictions of this for the global food supply. Oh baby!

applepoor

Having a M1 MBAir and 14" M1 Max MBPro, I decided to cancel the Studio and Monitor order and wait for the next generation. They are still getting basic bugs out of both the monitor and the M1 series chips. Being an early adopter does have it's risks.

mpantone

okypinoky said:

.... my frustration is not the reality of the delays as much as it is with our public acceptance that also, in turn, drives companies to not mandate change.  Apple has a (good) problem - how to make overly popular devices more easily and readily available at launch (without everyone defending Apple to the bitter end despite failures).

Look, if Apple could wave a magic wand and make supply chain bottlenecks evaporate into thin air they would. After all, for every device they do not ship, they are leaving money on the table. And guess what? Shareholders would love if Apple had no supply constraints.

But they do because they design and build cutting edge technology devices on the latest semiconductor process nodes. Apple A-series and M-series SoCs aren't being made at 28nm fabs. If they did, maybe Apple could fulfill every single order without delay but no one would want them.

There have been supply chain constraints for years, long before SARS-CoV-2 crashed the party.

Unfortunately with JIT manufacturing, there's little breathing room for any shortfall. That's what trips up Apple every single year when they release their new line of iPhones. And COVID made it worse. Apple suffered less than many other companies because they prepay many of their key vendors and help finance expensive expansion projects.

Cash is king and Apple has more of it than any other publicly traded company.

The semiconductor industry is notorious for avoiding excess capacity. A new fab costs billions of dollars and several years of planning and construction. You don't just call Applied Materials to drop off some lithography machines at some rented warehouse down the street so you can pump out 4nm chips next week. New process nodes are a major capital expense.

Foundries and electronics assembly companies want to know that their new manufacturing line will be fully booked for years running 24x7. You can't run these for 240 days a year for 8 hours per day and expect to turn a profit.

edited May 2022

darkvader

mikethemartian said:

I noticed that looking at the 128GB model with 4TB drive. Since you cannot upgrade it later you can’t just buy a model that is available now and upgrade after the supply chain issues have abated.

Non-upgradeable RAM and storage YET AGAIN showing itself to be a HORRIBLE decision on Apple's part.  That kind of delays will mean lots of people who say "Huh, this app I need is also available on Windoze, I'll just get a PC, at least I can get that with enough RAM and storage, and I can always upgrade it later too."

anonymouse

I think it's worth pointing out that Apple is typically very conservative in their shipping estimates, and while you won't get these products next week, there's a good chance you'll get them sooner than the estimated ship dates indicate.

cpsro

These huge delays have existed for a month or more and their appearance coincided with the first shutdowns in Shanghai. Perhaps relevant, the Studio packaging says "Made in Malaysia" where I don't know of any shutdown lately.

edited May 2022

rezwits

Dude, Supply Chain issues are SMOKE SCREENS.

I honestly think IMHO, it's 8 Billion People...

Apple cannot make 1 million Mac Studios in a month, or maybe they can, but that still doesn't mean that perhaps 5 MILLION people want one, so if they could make 1 million a month, it would still be 5 MONTHS!!

And then there are still "8 Billion People" - 5 Million, where even MORE people want some.

Supply Chain is behind closed doors lingo or a smoke screen for "we are over populated!!!"

Laters...  We are reaching critical mass guys... especially when no body works anymore LOL

davgreg

The lockdowns in China are creating problems in many areas beyond computer chips or the assembly of devices.

I work in Radiology and the most widely used contrast agent in CT scans and many other applications to include the Operating Room is in very short supply. This is a very serious issue as CT imaging is a critical and often difficult to replace test. There are many people who cannot have an MRI and there are many times when an Ultrasound or MRI will not be able to replace the CT exam. Non contrast CT imaging is significantly less detailed.

I am quite sure there are many other examples. And FYI, that contrast agent was invented in the US and production was moved to China years ago. Grrr…

edited May 2022

seanj

davgreg said:

The lockdowns in China are creating problems in many areas beyond computer chips or the assembly of devices.

I work in Radiology and the most widely used contrast agent in CT scans and many other applications to include the Operating Room is in very short supply. This is a very serious issue as CT imaging is a critical and often difficult to replace test. There are many people who cannot have an MRI and there are many times when an Ultrasound or MRI will not be able to replace the CT exam. Non contrast CT imaging is significantly less detailed.

I am quite sure there are many other examples. And FYI, that contrast agent was invented in the US and production was moved to China years ago. Grrr…

The shortsighted cost-cutting practices of off-shoring manufacturing and the JIT stock control has been a disaster waiting to happen, and the pandemic was the ideal nudge to trigger this all off.

edited May 2022

waveparticle

seanj said:

davgreg said:

The lockdowns in China are creating problems in many areas beyond computer chips or the assembly of devices.

I work in Radiology and the most widely used contrast agent in CT scans and many other applications to include the Operating Room is in very short supply. This is a very serious issue as CT imaging is a critical and often difficult to replace test. There are many people who cannot have an MRI and there are many times when an Ultrasound or MRI will not be able to replace the CT exam. Non contrast CT imaging is significantly less detailed.

I am quite sure there are many other examples. And FYI, that contrast agent was invented in the US and production was moved to China years ago. Grrr…

The shortsighted cost-cutting practices of off-shoring manufacturing and the JIT stock control has been a disaster waiting to happen, and the pandemic was the ideal nudge to trigger this all off.

Shortsighted? Apple becomes a one trillion dollar then a two trillion dollar company because manufacturing in China. Without China, Apple won't be able to make so many iPhones at a competitive cost. 

firelock

I ordered my custom MBP 14” on Feb 20 with a due date of mid-April. The week before I was supposed to get it, they said it would be delayed until mid-May. Then this week I got a notification that I shouldn’t expect it before the end of June/early July. My current laptop is in pretty bad need of replacement so I’m going to keep the order open until I get it.

dewme

seanj said:

davgreg said:

The lockdowns in China are creating problems in many areas beyond computer chips or the assembly of devices.

I work in Radiology and the most widely used contrast agent in CT scans and many other applications to include the Operating Room is in very short supply. This is a very serious issue as CT imaging is a critical and often difficult to replace test. There are many people who cannot have an MRI and there are many times when an Ultrasound or MRI will not be able to replace the CT exam. Non contrast CT imaging is significantly less detailed.

I am quite sure there are many other examples. And FYI, that contrast agent was invented in the US and production was moved to China years ago. Grrr…

The shortsighted cost-cutting practices of off-shoring manufacturing and the JIT stock control has been a disaster waiting to happen, and the pandemic was the ideal nudge to trigger this all off.

It’s all based on economics. A big part of what made these very long supply chains work so well was the amazing improvements that have been made over the past several decades to drive the transportation and delivery costs down.

These massive container ships that can move greater than 12,000 containers at a time combined with the automation in the loading and unloading processing drove the per-unit costs to move products down to ridiculously small numbers, like 50 cents on average to ship a big screen TV from Malaysia to the US. 

If you’re making money selling these things the distance between manufacturing plant and showroom becomes immaterial. Who doesn’t want to make more money? Of course when the supply chain stops or pauses the pain sets in and lingers for a long time, which is what we’re seeing now. 

Keep in mind that these supply chains are chains, which means they reach back further than you may think. Moving one link in the chain from Asia to the US won’t solve the problem.