Apple Raises MacBook and iPad Prices Citing Memory Chip Costs Apple is raising prices on some of its most popular Macs and iPads, thrusting everyday buyers into the fallout from a global scramble for the same high-end memory chips that power artificial intelligence.

On Thursday, Apple detailed price hikes of roughly 15%–25% on multiple models, including the MacBook Neo jumping from $599 to $699, the MacBook Air 512GB from $1,099 to $1,299, and the MacBook Pro 1TB from $1,699 to $1,999, while the iPad Air 128GB rises from $599 to $749 and the iPad Pro WiFi 256GB from $999 to $1,199. The company said the consumer electronics industry is facing “an unprecedented challenge” as the rapid build-out of AI data centers has created “an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage,” adding it had “never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.”

Earlier this month, Apple had already signaled that higher prices were coming, with CEO Tim Cook reportedly describing the jump in component costs as unlike anything he had seen in over four decades. Elon Musk amplified that warning on X, quoting Cook’s comment that the increase was unlike anything “in any area in over 40 years,” and calling it the “Biggest price jump in anything I’ve ever seen too.”

Financial markets reacted quickly. As Apple’s stock slid on the announcement of price rises linked to the “unprecedented” cost of memory chips, memory supplier Micron saw its shares jump on blockbuster results that underscored how AI demand is reshaping the tech sector’s winners and losers.

From Apple’s perspective, the hikes are a last resort: the company is known for using its massive purchasing power to keep component prices low, but analysts say this time “memory price increases have forced Apple’s hand,” even as it moves to diversify supply, including a recent deal to acquire chips from Intel to “reduce this pressure.” While the iPhone was spared in this round, Apple has hinted more adjustments may follow if AI-fueled chip shortages persist.

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