Apple has told its suppliers to plan for 16 million MacBook Neo shipments in 2027, according to supply-chain sources. That is about double the nearly 8 million expected this year, and it lands in the year the MacBook Neo 2 is reportedly due.
Digitimes reported the shipment forecast on November 4. Apple said Mac was supply constrained in the September quarter, when Mac revenue rose 23.7% on the MacBook Neo and MacBook Pro.
Ten extra weeks of sales cannot account for MacBook Neo shipments doubling
The first MacBook Neo reached customers on March 11, so 2027 gives it about 23% more selling time than 2026 had. That explains only a small part of a 100% increase.
Schools are one source of demand. Apple said the Philippines Department of Education is deploying 170,000 MacBook Neo laptops, its biggest Mac education deal.
Chip supply has been a constraint. Apple reportedly built the first model from leftover A18 Pro chips, so an A18 Pro shortage set in during April as demand outran that inventory.
Apple’s PC market share rose to 9.8% in the September quarter, with Counterpoint crediting the MacBook Neo, yet Mac shipments fell 11% in a PC market down 21%. Counterpoint forecasts the PC market falling 27% in the December quarter.
TrendForce expects notebook shipments to fall in 2027 by a low-single-digit percentage, or a high-single-digit one if brands pass on the full cost. A doubled MacBook Neo would run against that market.
The MacBook Neo 2 is reportedly due in the first half of 2027 with 12GB of RAM
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple plans to release the MacBook Neo 2 in the first half of 2027. He has also said it moves to an A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM, with new color options, up from the A18 Pro chip and 8GB in the current model. Both current configurations, the 256GB model and the 512GB model with Touch ID, carry 8GB. The 13-inch display is expected to stay the same, without touch support.
The MacBook Neo starts at $699 after Apple raised Mac prices on June 25, up from $599 at launch. Apple has not announced the MacBook Neo 2 or its price.
Counterpoint expects RAM prices to rise another 13% in the December quarter and 15% in the first quarter of 2027. Apple guided December-quarter revenue growth of 7% to 10%, which it said reflects constrained supply. It also guided gross margin to 45% to 46%, primarily on higher memory costs.
