Apple's M4 Mac mini, including the $599 one, is gradually becoming impossible to buy

Source: Ars Technica

Overview

It’s a good time to be in the market for a MacBook, between the affordability of the MacBook Neo, the power of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros — see the review of the 2026 16‑inch MacBook Pro — and the all‑around appeal of the M5 MacBook Air.

Apple’s desktop computers, however, are another story, and not just because they’re due for their own M5 upgrades.

Availability Issues

Over the last few months the Mac mini and the Mac Studio have gradually become harder to buy.

• The 512 GB M3 Ultra Mac Studio was removed from Apple’s website.
• Other models of both desktops have seen ship times slip from days to weeks to months.
• In the last couple of weeks, several configurations of Mac mini and Studio began showing up as “currently unavailable” on Apple’s site — a status that virtually never appears even when a hardware refresh is imminent (MacRumors report).

This week, as spotted by MacRumors, the baseline $599 M4 Mac mini (16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage) earned the “currently unavailable” label for the first time (source).

Specific Configuration Availability

• Orderable models – Most Mac mini models can still be ordered. An M4 Mac mini with 512 GB or more of storage and either 16 GB or 24 GB of RAM will take 5–12 weeks to arrive, depending on the exact configuration.
• M4 Pro Mac mini – Any storage configuration with 24 GB or 48 GB of RAM also shows a 5–12 week lead time, with most models available within 10–12 weeks.

Currently Unavailable

• All M4 Mac mini units with 256 GB of storage.
• All M4 Mac mini units with 32 GB of RAM.
• All M4 Pro Mac mini units with 64 GB of RAM.
• Mac Studio models with 128 GB or 256 GB of RAM.

Other Studio configurations list the same five‑ to twelve‑week wait times as the minis.

Comparison with Other Macs

• The shortage does not appear specific to the M4 generation; most M4 iMac configurations—including those with 32 GB of RAM—typically arrive within one to two weeks of ordering.
• It is also not caused exclusively by ongoing RAM and storage shortages—new MacBook Pros with 128 GB of RAM and large SSDs generally ship within two to three weeks.