New MacBook Pro Models’ Delivery Estimates Slide Into Early December
Apple at its “Unleashed” virtual event last week unveiled its refreshed line of MacBook Pro laptops, consisting of a 14-inch and a 16-inch model. The Cupertino company announced that the two were slated to arrive on Tuesday, 26 October 2021. But it seems that people who didn't order right after the announcement might have to wait to get their hands on the new laptops.
If you visit Apple’s online store and go to the MacBook Pro page, you’ll see that the estimated delivery dates have slid into as late as end November. The listed delivery date of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is on 17 November 2021 at the earliest and 24 November 2021 at the latest. Meanwhile, the delivery date for the 16-inch model is on 24 November 2021 at the earliest and 1 December 2021 at the latest.
It’s not entirely clear yet why shipments are being pushed back. If we were to take a guess, we’d say that it’s probably due to the global chip shortage where demand for components has quickly outpaced supply.
Last month, it was reported that Apple was cutting down on the production of the iPhone 13 by up to ten million. Analysts also pointed out that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, the two top-end models of the new iPhone 13 series, had wait times that reached more than four weeks, the longest it has been in at least four years. The iPhone 13, on the other hand, had wait times between two to four weeks.
The delay is also not unique to Singapore. Delivery estimates for pre-orders in the U.S. have similarly slid into late November and early December, as reported by The Verge. Additionally, if you’re having your MacBook Pro customised, you could be waiting until mid-December.
For markets like the Philippines and Malaysia, the laptops aren’t even available to order yet.
The refreshed MacBook Pro models mark the return of the HDMI port, the SD card slot, which join three USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and the MagSafe 3 connector. The new design trades the Touch Bar in favour of a function row of keys. Other notable features include a 1080p webcam, new M1 processors and enhanced display and audio capabilities.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at S$2,999 while the 16-inch model starts at S$3,749.
Written by Kyle Chua
