Apple's MacBook Neo Supply Sells Out For April, Where To Still Buy One

by Paul Lilly — Friday, April 17, 2026, 11:18 AM EDT

Student using a yellow Apple MacBook Neo in a classroom.

It was a safe prediction that the MacBook Neo would be a popular seller, and lest anyone needs more proof that things are panning out for Apple, just head to the company's online store and check out the wait time for new orders. Both the 256GB and 512GB models in every color option now show an estimated delivery date of between May 4-11.

In other words, Apple has sold out of its available inventory for the month of April. While the delay for new orders isn't all that long—3 to 4 weeks as it currently stands—it indicates that Apple figured correctly that a cheaper MacBook with a premium design language would be a hit, even with the comparatively muted specs versus its MacBook Air and especially the MacBook Pro lines.

Arguably the biggest gamble for Apple was outfitting the MacBook Neo with a version of the A18 Pro chip that also powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. It likely made sound business sense from a cost and sourcing perspective, and despite being a mobile chip, it's still an Apple Silicon design and it's proven capable for general purpose computing chores, and even some level of photo and video editing.

The other gamble was skimping on system memory. Apple opted for just 8GB of unified RAM, after having finally gone with 16GB as a starting point on other Mac systems. And on the storage front, the MacBook Neo starts at 256GB, with the 512GB upgrade also adding Touch ID support.

Regardless, every configuration now has a wait time of several weeks if buying directly from Apple. We looked at both the 256GB and 512GB models in all four color options, including Silver, Blush, Silver, and Indigo, and every combination shows the same anticipated deliver of early to mid-May.

This mainly matters if you're eligible to take advantage of Apple's education pricing, which has the 256GB model priced at $499 instead of $599, and the 512GB model priced at $599 instead of $699 (Apple currently shows a wait time of 2-3 weeks). If you don't qualify for the education discount and/or are not concerned with buying direct from Apple, you can find the most MacBook Neo configurations in stock at various retailers.

Four Apple MacBook Neo laptops in each color option.

Some color and storage combinations are out of stock at Target and Walmart, though overall, it's not difficult to find both the 256GB and 512GB models available in whichever color your prefer, so long as you're flexible with where you're willing to shop.

Given how well the MacBook Neo is selling, it will be interesting to see if these laptops end up being discounted at retail, as Apple's other hardware products often go on sale. Likewise, the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons will be here before you know it.

Tags: Apple, (NASDAQ:AAPL), macbook neo

Paul Lilly

Paul is a seasoned geek who cut this teeth on the Commodore 64. When he's not geeking out to tech, he's out riding his Harley and collecting stray cats.