Apple CEO Tim Cook says he’s “thrilled” with the performance of the company’s latest Mac lineup—but the strong demand is creating headaches for buyers trying to get their hands on a Mac mini.
Speaking ahead of Apple’s April quarterly earnings call, Cook told CNBC that the company is seeing exceptional momentum across its Mac portfolio:
“We could not be happier with the enthusiasm we’ve seen for the most advanced Mac lineup in our history… we saw huge excitement for MacBook Neo, which opens up the Mac experience to a whole new range of customers.”
The recently introduced MacBook Neo—Apple’s most affordable Mac notebook at $599—has attracted strong interest, particularly from first-time Mac users. Despite some criticism over its use of the A18 Pro chip, Apple appears to be seeing solid demand in the budget segment.
According to Cook, Mac had its strongest launch week ever for new-to-Mac customers, driven in part by the popularity of the MacBook Neo.
However, that surge in demand is now creating supply issues. The Mac mini, in particular, is experiencing severe shortages.
“Huge demand,” Cook said. “So big that we can’t fulfill it all. We had supply constraints during the quarter, and we still have supply constraints. We’ll likely have them for several months.”
One of the key drivers behind the shortage is growing interest in the Mac mini as a compact system for running local AI tools and workloads. The demand has outpaced supply so significantly that many configurations are currently unavailable.
The situation isn’t limited to the Mac mini. The Mac Studio is also affected, with several models either facing long shipping delays or showing as completely out of stock. While some lower-end configurations remain available with extended wait times, higher-end versions are largely unavailable across retailers.
Apple May Integrate ‘Siri’ Into the Camera App in iOS 27
Apple is reportedly working on a new “Siri mode” for the Camera app, expected to arrive with iOS 27. But what exactly does it mean for users?
Visual Intelligence could become easier to access
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this new Siri mode would appear as a dedicated option inside the Camera app, alongside existing modes such as Photo, Video, Portrait, Cinematic, and others.
At present, Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature—available on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence—is somewhat buried. Users can only access it through the Camera Control, Control Centre, Lock Screen, or Action Button, which makes it less visible for everyday use.
With iOS 27, Apple reportedly plans to bring this functionality directly into the Camera app itself, potentially under a “Siri mode” label.
What Siri mode could do
Similar to today’s Visual Intelligence features, the new mode would allow users to simply point their camera at objects and ask questions. It could then use services like ChatGPT or Google reverse image search to provide relevant information.
Existing capabilities already include:
Converting event posters into calendar entries
Identifying plants and animals
Showing business details like phone numbers, menus, and more
The bigger idea
If implemented, this change would make Apple’s visual AI tools far more accessible, turning the Camera app into a more direct entry point for real-world information search and assistance.
Mac mini and Mac Studio Supply Expected to Take Months to Recover
