Dwindling M1 Air stock points to imminent release of a budget MacBook

Apple’s long-rumored cheap MacBook appears to have come a step closer to launch, with the discovery that Walmart has stopped selling new units of the low-cost M1 MacBook Air.

As first reported by PC Mag, searching for the late-2020 machine on the U.S. site with the “new” filter checked brings up three buying options: the 256GB in Space Gray or gold, and a listing for the 512GB model, which hasn’t been available since 2024. All three now show as out of stock for shipping, and the reporter was able to find just one store in his local area with units for pickup. I had a similar experience.

(As a side note, I’ve been unable to find new units of the M1 Air in any other stores close to me, including Amazon. If you check the price-comparison table below, you’ll see if there are any in your location. If the table isn’t showing up at all, that means you’re out of luck, too.)

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It isn’t clear how long Walmart has been short of stock for this machine, but we know it was on sale for the bargain price of $549 as recently as mid-December. As it’s unlikely that Walmart just happened to run out of stock after two years, it seems Apple and Walmart have decided to wind down sales.

While the decision could be related to cost-cutting measures due to memory prices ballooning, this timing adds credence to the rumors of a cheap MacBook expected within the next two weeks. Apple recently announced global “experiences” on March 4, and it’s widely rumored that it will announce a series of new entries in its iPhone, iPad, and MacBook lines in the days leading up to that. Rumors about the new MacBook claim it will use an A18 Pro iPhone chip and cost around $699, both reasons to stop selling these M1 models.

Whatever the truth, we should find out soon. You can keep up with all the latest news and rumors with our regularly updated budget MacBook superguide.