Amid a global memory shortage fueled by the creation of artificial intelligence, Apple is raising the prices of its Mac and iPad lines, it says Bloomberg. As of now, there is no increase in iPhone prices, but there is a possibility that it will arrive later in the year.
The newcomer to the MacBook line, MacBook Neo, will now cost $699 instead of $599. The company also raised the price of the base MacBook Air from $1,099 to $1,299 and the price of the MacBook Pro from $1,699 to $1,999. Mac Studio for desktops is now $2,499, down from $1,999.
iPads also received a price bump: The Air is now $749, up from $599, and the Pro is now $1,199, up from $999. The base model iPad with the A16 chip now costs $449 instead of $349, and the iPad Mini with the A17 chip costs $599 instead of $499.
Apple’s smart home devices are also more expensive. The standard HomePod is increasing from $299 to $349, the HomePod Mini is increasing from $99 to $129, and the Apple TV box is increasing from $99 to $129.
The company’s Vision Pro headphones are now priced at $3,699, down from an already pricey $3,499 tag.
“The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created a phenomenal increase in demand for memory and storage. We’ve never seen such a big, fast increase in the price of components,” the company said. CNBC in a statement.
“We know this is not welcome news and we are working tirelessly to find solutions,” he added.
Last week, Tim Cook said The Wall Street Journal that price hikes for Apple products were “inevitable” as memory and storage component prices continue to rise due to the AI boom. During the company’s earnings call in April, Cook said that for iPhones, the company faced limitations in the main processing chip, not memory. He also said that “it may take several months to reach a supply-demand balance” for the Mac Studio and Mac Mini.
Apple discontinued the $599 base 256GB Mac Mini in May and made the $799 base model with 512GB storage the base model. The M4 Pro configuration is now $1,599, down from $1,399.
In March, analyst firm Counterpoint noted that smartphone DRAM prices have risen 50%, and NAND Flash storage prices have jumped more than 90% compared to the first quarter of 2026.
“We’ve reached a point where absorbing memory price increases is impossible unless one wishes to run a business with a big loss. Memory prices have more than quadrupled since Q4 2025, and this single item has eroded the margins of most consumer electronics players. TechCrunch.
“The growing demand for AI infrastructure has fundamentally changed the memory supply chain, meaning that higher BOM (Bill of Materials) costs are now an ongoing challenge. We also expect other PC and tablet OEMs to follow Apple’s lead. They may raise prices on select products, reduce discounts, or adjust their product lines to focus more on premium devices,” he added.
While the AI chip crisis affects consumer companies, vendors like Micron are reaping the benefits. The company saw a 4-fold jump in revenue year-over-year in its most recent earnings.
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