Apple Raises MacBook and iPad Prices Due to Memory Crisis

Apple announced a 20% price hike on its MacBook and iPad lines, but it stopped short of any increases for the iPhone. The company blamed memory chip shortages caused by AI infrastructure demand for the price hike.

In a statement, Apple explained that the consumer electronics industry was facing an unprecedented challenge of memory prices rising rapidly, meaning customers will be impacted. Company CEO Tim Cook had warned last week that increased prices were coming, saying that it was unavoidable due to the unsustainable cost of memory and storage.

“The rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We know this is not welcome news and we are working tirelessly to find solutions,” Apple stated. The price rises will affect its entire line of MacBooks and iPads globally, increasing by around 20%.

Apple has tended to raise prices in the past when it launches a new generation of device, and it will then drop a cheaper model from its available lineup. It has avoided price hikes like this in the past, suggesting the memory crunch is proving particularly disruptive to its supply chain. It notably did not raise prices during President Donald Trump’s tariff war or during the Covid-19 pandemic.