CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb 1, 2026, 04:08 (PST)
- Apple has redesigned its online Mac checkout, removing preset configuration lists in favor of a step-by-step build flow
- The new process mirrors how Apple sells iPhones and iPads online, starting with core choices before add-ons
- Tech sites say the change could nudge more upgrades and may be laying groundwork for future Mac launches
Apple has revamped the way customers order Macs on its online store, removing the long-standing list of standard configurations and forcing buyers to build machines option by option instead. The change spans the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro, and the MacBook Pro page still does not allow configurations with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip, according to MacRumors. (MacRumors)
The redesign matters because Apple’s online store is where buyers typically go when they want a non-standard Mac build, and the upsell choices — more memory, bigger storage, different chips — now sit at the center of the purchase flow. Malcolm Owen, a product comparison expert at AppleInsider, wrote the guided layout “could help Apple drive up the number of upgrades on each order,” even as it standardizes the online buying experience across product lines. (AppleInsider)
Macworld said the menu of options is broadly familiar — M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro models still start with 24GB of memory, for instance — but the new presentation puts less emphasis on picking a tiered “good/better/best” starting point. The site added that the redesign could set Apple up for more granular build-to-order choices around upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max models, and might even “hide” small price moves by spreading them across individual components. (Macworld)
Previously, Apple’s “Buy” button led shoppers to a landing page showing several pre-built combinations of processor, RAM and storage before letting them fine-tune. That first screen is gone; buyers now jump straight into the configurator and select their specs in sequence, 9to5Mac reported. (9to5Mac)
On Apple’s MacBook Pro order page, customers start by picking size and color, then move through display and chip choices before opening panels for memory, SSD storage and other details. The page shows a mix of chips — including M5 for some MacBook Pro configurations alongside M4 Pro and M4 Max variants — underscoring how Apple’s laptop lineup is already straddling multiple chip families. (Apple)
The configurator is simply the build menu — the screen where buyers choose the hardware and add-ons before paying. Apple calls its shared pool of RAM “unified memory,” meaning the main processor and graphics draw from the same memory, so that single choice can affect both general speed and graphics-heavy work.
Apple already sells iPhones and iPads in a similar step-by-step flow, pushing shoppers through storage and color choices and then through trade-ins and protection plans. PC makers such as Dell and Lenovo have long relied on build-to-order configurators too, but Apple’s Mac store had kept a more curated set of presets closer to the top.
French Apple site Consomac said the new interface makes it harder to separate standard configurations — the ones typically stocked by resellers — from custom builds that can carry longer lead times. It said delivery and pickup timing becomes clear only near the end of the flow, after buyers have worked through optional software, trade-in and AppleCare+ prompts. (Consomac)
But the redesign could also slow shoppers who just want a quick, comparable shortlist, and it may increase the odds that buyers only discover late that a chosen spec changes delivery timing. Apple’s own store notes that some customized selections can affect delivery estimates and pickup options — a warning that lands differently when every order starts from scratch. (Apple)
Apple has leaned into customization in its marketing, telling MacBook Pro buyers to “Choose your chip, memory, storage, even color” and to “Build the Mac that’s best for you.” The store revamp makes that pitch harder to miss — and harder to skip. (Apple)
