Apple has increased prices on its Mac and iPad lineups, with some models like the MacBook Air seeing starting prices jump by $200. [7] The company attributed the move to a sharp rise in the cost of memory and storage components, which it said it can no longer absorb. [10, 11, 13] The price adjustments affect products including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and various iPad models, while iPhone prices currently remain unchanged. [7]
CEO Tim Cook called the price hikes "unavoidable," stating the component cost situation had become "unsustainable." [2, 3, 11] He attributed the issue to a severe memory chip shortage driven by surging demand from the AI industry, which is diverting supply away from consumer electronics. [1, 6, 17] Cook described the rapid cost inflation as an unprecedented event in his career. [16, 18]