Apple Raises Prices of Macs, iPads Amid AI-Driven Memory Cost Surge
Apple has raised prices of several Macs, iPads and other devices as soaring AI-driven memory chip costs squeeze hardware makers. The company has not yet confirmed whether India prices will be affected.
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Apple has increased prices for a range of products, such as MacBooks, iPads, HomePod speakers, and Apple TV devices, citing a sharp rise in the cost of memory and storage chips as demand from the artificial intelligence (AI) industry continues to squeeze global supplies, according to reports.
The iPhone lineup is unaffected by the price revisions. But just months after its launch Apple has raised the starting price of its entry-level MacBook Neo from $599 to $699.
"The company had absorbed the higher component costs for as long as possible but could no longer shield customers from rising memory prices," it said.
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Memory Crunch:
The new prices include the MacBook Air with 512GB storage, now starting at $1,299, up from $1,099, and the MacBook Pro with 1TB storage, now costing $1,999, compared with $1,699 before. The iPad Air with 128GB storage also rose from $599 to $749. HomePod speakers and Apple TV streaming devices also saw price increases.
The increase comes as memory chip makers concentrate on production for AI infrastructure. Memory makers such as Micron are shifting more of their memory supplies to AI customers like Nvidia, limiting availability for makers of consumer electronics.
Prices of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), widely used in smartphones, PCs and other electronic devices, increased by as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026, research firm TrendForce said. The company sees prices rising another 58% to 63% in the current quarter.
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Demand Slowdown:
Apple had said earlier it expected rising memory costs to hit its business eventually, after existing inventory temporarily softened that blow. The company has started to pass on those higher component costs to consumers.
Micron this week announced $22 billion in long-term customer commitments for memory supplies, showing continued demand from companies making large investments in AI infrastructure.
Higher costs for components are weighing on consumer demand and research firm IDC estimates that worldwide shipments of smartphones could fall nearly 14 percent this year and the PC market could contract 11.3 percent.
Shares of Apple fell nearly 5% after the announcement, and Dell’s shares fell more than 8%.
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