Mac Mini Shortage Drives Up Prices on eBay Amid AI Demand

AI Summary

The new M4 Mac mini has sold out on Apple's website due to high demand for its AI capabilities, leading to a surge in prices on eBay. The shortage, combined with an industry-wide memory crunch, has driven up prices for used Mac minis.

The Mac Mini Shortage

The $599 M4 Mac mini base model with 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage has sold out on Apple's retail website, with no options for delivery or in-store pickup. The shortages have extended to other configurations of the base model, regardless of the amount of memory selected.

eBay Becomes Secondary Market

As a result, eBay has become a secondary market for these in-demand computers. On the site, various configurations of the M4 Mac mini are available for sale at higher prices than if buying direct from Apple, which is no longer an option.

The Data Analysis

M4 base models with the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD configuration were selling at markups like $715-$795 for a new, 'open box' model.
Some 'excellent' refurbished versions were selling for as high as $979.
'Lightly used, pre-owned' Mac minis with this configuration were selling for around $700 — more than $100 more than the price of a new base model.

The Impact Analysis

Apple's power-efficient Mac minis have become popular devices for testing and running at-home, on-device AI models. The shortage of the devices also comes alongside an industry-wide memory crunch and plans for a Mac mini refresh.

The Prediction

It seems that the demand for the device is going to keep prices up until Apple's supply chain refreshes. Apple has begun to see increased demand for the Mac Studio, too, which is also now sold out across several configurations.