Apple hikes prices on Macs, iPads citing rising memory and storage costs
Apple announced price increases of $150-$200 on several Mac and iPad models, attributing the changes to higher component costs driven by AI-related demand.
Apple said on Thursday that it is raising the prices of a range of Mac computers and iPad tablets as the cost of memory and storage chips has risen sharply. The base MacBook Pro now sells for $1,999, up from $1,699, while the entry-level MacBook Neo is priced at $699, $100 more than its March launch price. The iPad Air’s price rose to $749, a $150 increase, and the iPad Pro now costs $1,199, $200 higher than before.
The company linked the price adjustments to a global shortage of memory and storage components, noting that AI chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD have increased demand for the same parts used in data-center servers. Memory manufacturers, including Micron, are prioritising higher-priced data-center chips, reducing the supply of cheaper consumer-grade components and driving up prices.
"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. "We have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices."
Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors in April that the company expects "significantly higher memory costs" for the quarter ending in June and warned that memory expenses could continue to affect the business beyond that period. The firm also indicated that profit margins may shrink slightly for the quarter.
In addition to Macs and iPads, Apple raised prices for its HomePod speaker and Vision Pro mixed-reality headset. The timing is notable because Apple usually adjusts pricing when it launches new or refreshed products, rather than mid-cycle.