MacBook Neo achieved higher sales than expected, which presented Apple with a new challenge related to the availability of the A18 Pro processors used in the device.
According to a report from Taiwan, the company initially planned to produce only between 5 and 6 million units, depending on the stock of A18 Pro processors that did not meet the standards for use in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The information indicates that these processors are considered almost “free” for Apple, because they are units that contain a broken graphics core and were not suitable for phones, so the company decided to repurpose them into the MacBook Neo instead of getting rid of them. With demand rising dramatically, Apple is at risk of running out of stock before meeting market demand.
The company is currently considering several options, including ordering additional production of A18 Pro processors through TSMC with a precision of 3 nm, but this solution may reduce the profit margin.
On the other hand, Apple may lose a great opportunity if it decides not to increase production, especially since the price of the MacBook Neo of $599 makes it a strong competitor in the economic computer category, with the difficulty of manufacturers of Windows devices keeping up with it at the present time.
The report also indicates that the original plan was to stop production of the MacBook Neo after reaching 5 or 6 million units, and then move to next year’s version using A19 Pro processors with partial defects.
This means that Apple may continue the strategy of reusing incomplete processors in future MacBook Neo versions.
