Apple was unprepared for demand for the MacBook Neo, leading to a shortage of A18 Pro chips

New MacBook Neo becomes a “hit,” but sales details remain unknown

Apple recently unveiled the MacBook Neo, which is already attracting a lot of attention. However, exact figures on its sales will only appear after the company publishes its next quarterly report.

What’s behind the success
* Chip savings – The MacBook Neo is built on the A18 Pro. These chips were selected from a batch that failed quality control for the iPhone 16 Pro and was declared defective.

* Profit loss at scale – If Apple decides to increase production of the A18 Pro again, the margin on the laptop will drop.

Technical details of the chips
* The A18 Pro chips with minor GPU defects were not used in the iPhone 16 Pro but found application in the MacBook Neo.

* As a result, the laptop has only five working GPU cores, whereas the same chips in the iPhone 16 Pro are equipped with a six-core GPU.

Plan and current dilemma
1. Initially – Apple intended to release about 6 million MacBook Neos, using accumulated stock of “defective” A18 Pros.

2. Now – demand has exceeded expectations, and the company faces a choice:

* Order new chips from TSMC. The cost per unit is still unknown; it may be necessary to raise the laptop’s price to maintain profitability.

* Accelerate the release of the second generation MacBook Neo, which was planned only for the second half of 2027 and will feature the A19 Pro (from iPhone 17 Pro).

* Maintain the status quo – without new actions, availability of the laptop may decrease, something Apple clearly does not want.

Conclusion
Apple is currently discussing options with suppliers. Any decision will affect the price and availability of the MacBook Neo in the near future, but the company aims to meet growing demand and preserve profitability.