Apple Is Quietly Cutting Mac Shipments Amid a Memory Shortage, Here's What It Means for UAE Buyers

If a MacBook Air has been on your list, the wait just got longer. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported on August 10, 2026 that Apple is scaling back 2026 shipment plans for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman separately confirmed on August 8 that the MacBook Air specifically is facing what retail sources called a "major" shortage, the tightest they can recall.

How bad the wait actually is

On Apple's US online store, MacBook Air delivery estimates are currently running 2 to 6 weeks out, well beyond the usual few days. Gurman reported that configurations with higher amounts of RAM are seeing the longest delays, meaning the exact machines creative professionals and power users tend to want are the hardest to get. The shortage comes on top of a roughly $200 price increase Apple already applied to the MacBook Air back in June, so buyers are dealing with both a higher price and a longer wait at the same time.

Why it's happening

The cause traces back to memory, not Apple's assembly lines. DRAM manufacturers are prioritizing supply contracts for AI data centers, which pay significantly more per chip than consumer electronics orders, and that's squeezing the memory available for laptops, phones, and tablets across the entire industry. Kuo's report notes the same supply crunch is also expected to limit quantities of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone when they launch in September, so this isn't isolated to the Mac lineup.

What it means if you're buying in the UAE

Apple's supply constraints tend to show up in the US and other major markets first, then work their way through regional stock as global allocation gets stretched thinner. For UAE shoppers, that means the safer move is buying sooner rather than waiting, particularly for higher-RAM MacBook Air configurations, since those are the exact units Gurman's reporting says are hardest to restock. Waiting for the shortage to ease also carries the risk of catching a further price move if Apple leans on pricing again the way it did in June.

Florence Trading carries the current MacBook Air lineup along with the rest of Apple's Mac range, priced in AED with UAE warranty support and fast delivery across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. If a MacBook Air is on your list this quarter, it's worth checking current stock rather than waiting out a shortage with no confirmed end date.

Browse the MacBook Air and Apple's Mac range at Florence Trading →