Apple struggles to meet 13-inch MacBook Air demand, resellers raise prices
Apple is reportedly struggling to meet consumer demand for the 13-inch MacBook Air, leading some resellers to add hefty premiums to the larger of Apple's ultra-thin notebooks. According to AppleInsider, Apple underestimated the demand for its 13-inch Air model, giving favor to manufacturing the 11-inch model. This has lead to a dearth of supply at channel resellers, prompting some to raise prices for the machines.
Apple sells two versions of the 13-inch MacBook Air. The 128 GB model is US$1299 and the 256 GB model is $1599. Both are currently available from Apple's Online Store and ship in 24 hours. However, they're both in scare supply at third-party resellers leading to the increased prices. Amazon is currently selling the 128 GB 13-inch Air for $1549 and the 256 GB 13-inch Air for $1849 -- a $250 premium. The 128 GB 13-inch Air is also sold out at Best Buy Online.
AppleInsider did some checking and, while 13-inch Airs are scarce at 3rd party resellers, all Apple retail stores seem to have a good supply. Only one store that was out of the entry-level 13-inch model.
Clearly Apple underestimated the demand for its 13-inch MacBook Air model, but it wouldn't take them long to increase production numbers. The thin form factor of the MacBook Air is a hit with consumers, which is why Apple is likely to apply the same form factor to the MacBook Pro later this year.
