AI Frenzy Makes High-Memory Macs Harder to Get and Pricier

Tom's Hardware reports that AI frenzy around OpenClaw workflows is creating a short-term shortage for Apple's high unified-memory Macs.

In short: Macs are becoming harder to get in AI-ready specs, and possibly more expensive for buyers who need fast delivery.

Demand vs offer (supply)

• A 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 48GB unified memory) was listed around 6 days.
• The same line with 96GB unified memory moved to roughly 5 to 6 weeks.
• On Mac Studio, 96GB could still ship in around 9 to 10 days, while higher tiers (256GB or 512GB) stretched to 5 to 6 weeks.

Why this can mean higher costs

AI buyers are being pushed toward premium memory tiers, where both sticker price and wait time are higher.
Even when base Macs are available, the "AI-ready" versions are becoming the real bottleneck.

For teams and freelancers, that creates a double cost: higher hardware spend and slower time to deploy local AI workloads.

Source

• Tom's Hardware: OpenClaw-fueled ordering frenzy creates Apple Mac shortage