Apple Raises MacBook and iPad Prices as Memory Costs Climb

Apple said higher memory and storage costs tied to artificial intelligence demand are forcing price increases across several MacBook and iPad models.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Apple announced Thursday that it is raising prices on several MacBook and iPad models, marking the company’s first formal move to pass higher memory and storage costs on to consumers.

The increases affect entry-level and higher-storage devices across Apple’s laptop and tablet lines, CNBC reported.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had resisted raising prices but could no longer absorb the rising costs. Cook told The Wall Street Journal last week that memory prices have surged because of demand connected to the artificial intelligence boom.

The price changes include a $100 increase for the MacBook Neo entry model, which will rise from $599 to $699.

The MacBook Air with 512GB of storage will increase from $1,099 to $1,299, while the MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage will rise from $1,699 to $1,999.

Apple is also raising prices on iPads. The iPad Air with 128GB of storage will increase from $599 to $749. The iPad Pro Wi-Fi model with 256GB of storage will rise from $999 to $1,199.

The company cited higher component costs, especially for memory and storage, as the reason for the increases. Those parts have become more expensive as artificial intelligence development has driven demand for advanced chips, data center hardware and high-capacity memory products.

The new pricing means customers will pay more for several of Apple’s most widely used computing devices as the company adjusts to cost pressures across the technology supply chain.