M1-powered Macs now available, but shipping times have already stretched to weeks
The new M1-powered MacBooks are now available… make that “were available”. It seems that Apple is having trouble keeping up with demand and the shipping times for some models have already stretched to a couple of weeks.
We checked out the situation in several countries and in most cases you’re in for a week or two of waiting for your new MacBook to ship. The Mac Mini seems more readily available and will ship within 4-5 working days.
| Shipping times | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro | Mac mini |
| US | 1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 512 GB) |
3-4 weeks | 4-5 days |
| UK | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 4-5 days |
| CA | 1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 512 GB) |
1-2 weeks | 4-5 days (1-2 weeks for 256 GB) |
| AU | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | In stock |
| NZ | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | In stock |
| DE | 2-3 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 2-3 weeks |
| FR | 1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 256 GB) |
1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 512 GB) |
4-5 days (1-2 weeks for 256 GB) |
| ES | 2-3 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 256 GB) |
| PL | 2-3 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks (2-3 weeks for 256 GB) |
Notice that different memory capacities have different shipping times. The reason for this is quite simple, though Apple made no mention of it during its presentation – both RAM and storage are soldered on the motherboard. This means that a 256GB Mac and a 512GB Mac use different boards, it’s not as simple as putting in an extra stick of RAM or swapping an M.2 SSD.
Anyway, if you’re in a rush, you can check your local stores, they may have units available for in-store pickup. Apple Stores in multiple countries have started a click-and-collect service to reduce contact between employees and customers due to lockdowns and social distancing rules.
