Apple cuts more Mac options amid ongoing memory shortages
Apple cuts more Mac options amid ongoing memory shortages
https://www.macworld.com/article/3132588/apple-cuts-more-mac-options-as-memory-shortages-bite.html
Publish Date: 2026-05-06 10:38:00
Source Domain: www.macworld.com
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Apple has reduced RAM configurations for Mac Studio and Mac mini due to ongoing memory shortages caused by high AI server hardware demand.
- Macworld confirmed the M3 Ultra Mac Studio now maxes at 96GB RAM instead of 256GB, while M4 Mac mini models lost their highest memory options.
- Apple’s strong market position has helped it navigate the crisis better than competitors, though the changes affect both U.S. and U.K. stores.
The ongoing memory shortage means even companies as large and powerful as Apple need to adapt. High allocations of RAM are becoming more and more difficult to offer, and it’s been noticed that several more configurations of the Mac Studio and Mac mini have dropped off the store.
As spotted this week by MacRumors, it’s no longer possible to buy the M3 Ultra Mac Studio from the U.S. Apple webstore with 256GB of RAM; you now have to settle for 96GB. Similarly, the M4 Pro Mac mini has lost its top 64GB option, while the M4 Mac mini can be bought with 16GB or 24GB of RAM, but not 32GB. In each case, the higher-RAM option has been removed completely rather than showing as unavailable or out of stock.
Macworld has confirmed that these changes apply to Apple’s U.K. webstore as well.
You can buy the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in any RAM configuration you like, as long as it’s 96GB.
Apple
Apple has been struggling to fulfil high-RAM orders before now. In March, most configurations were delayed by several weeks, and the company stopped accepting orders for some configurations. But at the time these showed up as “currently unavailable.” The situation now seems more permanent.
The memory shortage, caused by ballooning demand for AI server hardware, has made these tough times for manufacturers of consumer electronic devices. But Apple and its customers have suffered less than most. While Windows-based PC makers were forced to raise prices as they struggled to meet…
