Which Apple products are affected by the price increase?

MacBook Air with 512 gigabytes of storage, MacBook Pro with 1 terabyte of storage, and iPad Air with 128 gigabytes of storage saw price increases. The iPhone was not affected.

Why is Apple raising prices now?

Memory makers have prioritized orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia for their datacenter buildout, leaving limited supply for consumer electronics makers. Apple said memory and storage chip costs have risen so steeply that it can no longer absorb them.

By how much are memory prices expected to increase?

Dynamic random access memory prices rose as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026 and are set to jump by another 58% to 63% in the current quarter, according to TrendForce.

Back to articles

Apple raises iPad and MacBook prices as AI-driven demand for memory chips squeezes supply and costs.

Yahoo Finance AI16h ago5 min read

Key takeaway

Apple has raised prices on iPad and MacBook models due to soaring memory chip costs driven by AI chipmakers' datacenter buildout. The company said it has never encountered component price increases of this scale and speed, and despite its unmatched supply chain relationships, can no longer shield customers from the surge. Memory costs are projected to continue rising significantly through the current quarter.

Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.

3 Key Points

What happened
Apple increased prices on multiple products, including MacBook Air with 512 gigabytes of storage (from $1,099 to $1,299), MacBook Pro with 1 terabyte of storage (from $1,699 to $1,999), and iPad Air with 128 gigabytes of storage (from $599 to $749). The company said it has shielded customers from rising memory costs but has now reached a point where price increases are necessary.
Why it matters
Memory makers such as Micron have prioritized orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia, leaving little supply for consumer electronics manufacturers. Apple said "We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly." Even the world's most valuable consumer electronics company with industry-leading supply chain relationships cannot avoid the surge.
What to watch
CEO Tim Cook warned in late April that memory costs would drive an increasing impact on Apple's business beyond the June quarter. According to TrendForce, dynamic random access memory prices rose as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026 and are set to jump by another 58% to 63% in the current quarter.

FAQ

Which Apple products are affected by the price increase?: MacBook Air with 512 gigabytes of storage, MacBook Pro with 1 terabyte of storage, and iPad Air with 128 gigabytes of storage saw price increases. The iPhone was not affected.
Why is Apple raising prices now?: Memory makers have prioritized orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia for their datacenter buildout, leaving limited supply for consumer electronics makers. Apple said memory and storage chip costs have risen so steeply that it can no longer absorb them.
By how much are memory prices expected to increase?: Dynamic random access memory prices rose as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026 and are set to jump by another 58% to 63% in the current quarter, according to TrendForce.

Discussion

No discussion yet for this article

Stay ahead with AI news

Get curated AI news from 200+ sources delivered daily to your inbox. Free to use.

Get Started Free

Free · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytime

5 minutes a day. The AI essentials.

200+ sources · Email / LINE / Slack

Get it free →