Apple's budget MacBook Neo laptop is selling like hot cakes, company plans to double production

Apple's budget MacBook Neo is reportedly seeing massive demand, pushing the company to nearly double production to 10 million units. Strong sales in markets like India and long delivery wait times show the laptop is off to a flying start.

In Short

• Apple may double MacBook Neo production to 10 million units
• Its India price starts at Rs 69,900
• Its delivery wait times stretch to nearly 3 weeks

Apple appears to have another surprise hit on its hands. The recently launched MacBook Neo, positioned as the company’s budget laptop, is seeing such strong demand that Apple is now planning to sharply increase production. What started as a budget MacBook experiment is now turning into one of the company's biggest recent success stories, with supply already under pressure in markets including the US and India. According to analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is now preparing to build around 10 million MacBook Neo units in total, nearly double the company’s earlier production target. The report suggests Apple has asked its supply chain for an additional 5 million units as demand continues to outpace availability.

Why Apple needs to make more chips now

The first wave of MacBook Neo units was reportedly powered using leftover A18 Pro chips that were originally meant for the iPhone 16 Pro lineup. Since chip production does not always deliver fully perfect units, some processors may have one partially faulty core. Instead of wasting those chips, Apple is said to have repurposed them for the MacBook Neo.

That is why the MacBook Neo uses an A18 Pro chip with five GPU cores, instead of the six-core version seen in the iPhone 16 Pro. It allowed Apple to launch the laptop at a lower cost while also making use of existing inventory.

But those spare chips are now reportedly running low. As a result, Apple may need chipmaker TSMC to produce a fresh batch of A18 Pro processors specifically for the MacBook Neo. This would likely increase Apple’s manufacturing cost going forward.

It remains unclear whether Apple will absorb that added expense or make pricing changes later. One possibility being discussed is that Apple could discontinue the base 256GB model in the future and focus more on higher-storage variants that offer better margins.

India may be one of the reasons behind the success

Apple has also indicated strong Mac growth in emerging markets, including India. During the company’s latest earnings call, CFO Kevan Parekh said Mac revenue rose to $8.4 billion, helped by recent launches including the MacBook Neo.

India could be playing an important role here. The MacBook Neo launched at Rs 69,900, making it Apple’s cheapest laptop so far. That pricing gives buyers a more accessible way into the Mac ecosystem, especially compared to the MacBook Air, which usually starts closer to Rs 1 lakh without discounts.

For many students, first-time laptop buyers and Windows users considering a switch, the Neo may have arrived at the right time.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also recently posted on X, saying, "Mac just had its best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers. We love seeing the enthusiasm."

Long wait times already visible

The demand story is also showing up in delivery timelines. In the US, buyers are reportedly facing two to three weeks of waiting for MacBook Neo models. In India too, Apple’s official website is showing delivery estimates of around three weeks for fresh orders. That kind of delay usually suggests one thing - Apple did not expect demand to rise this quickly.

If reports are accurate, the MacBook Neo has gone from budget experiment to breakout hit in just weeks. And if Apple really doubles production, it may be clear proof that low-cost Macs can be just as exciting as premium ones.

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