Apple has raised MacBook Neo production capacity to as many as 10 million units, and delivery estimates have shortened by about a week after severe early shortages.
Initial plans called for roughly 5 million to 6 million units, but stronger-than-expected demand pushed Apple to increase A18 Pro chip orders from TSMC and accelerate assembly at Foxconn and Quanta in Vietnam and China.
The $599 laptop sold through available stock within 15 days in April, and some configurations that had slipped into late May or even June are now shipping sooner.
Apple is still not meeting all demand immediately, though its own U.S. channels are showing better availability than Amazon or Walmart and some stores are getting intermittent stock.
The surge suggests Apple found pent-up demand for a lower-cost macOS laptop, while tighter verification for the $499 student price may also curb discount-driven purchases.
With its initial chip supply exhausted, can Apple's $599 MacBook Neo maintain its surprisingly low price point?
Is the MacBook Neo a Trojan horse designed to conquer the budget laptop market long dominated by Windows?