M1-powered Macs now available, but shipping times have already stretched to weeks

Peter, 17 November 2020

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.

Reader comments

anonymous
24 Apr 2021
mH1

I always struggle to understand why a person replies to a post for help as "do your research". Isn't the post and the forum which they post analogous with research? We need to stop this knowledge shaming.

mozzie70
07 Jan 2021
rA3

An update article on M1 Mac delivery times would be useful. This one is now 7+ weeks old. I've searched on the web and there is no information on current delivery times. Not even for the base units.

mozzie70
04 Jan 2021
vkP

Mac MIni with 16 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD ordered in Australia from an independent Mac retailer on the 10th December. They were initially told 2 - 3 weeks delivery time by Apple Australia. Three plus weeks later and they still have no update fro...