Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as memory chip costs surge

Driven by soaring memory chip costs, Apple has had to raise its prices. This Thursday, the entry-level prices of the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air and iPad Pro were increased.

For several months, the media have reported on the memory chip shortage caused by the race for artificial intelligence, which is pushing up component prices for smartphones, tablets and computers. Apple initially managed to avoid passing these increases on to customers by accepting lower margins, but Tim Cook recently said that the situation has become untenable, even for Apple, and that price rises would be unavoidable.

Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices

This Thursday, the Cupertino company also began increasing the prices of numerous products. Anyone looking to buy a MacBook Neo must now pay at least 799 euros for the 256 GB model, despite this “affordable” computer having been announced at 699 euros at launch. The starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 has risen to 1 399 euros, while the MacBook Pro M5 now starts at 2 199 euros.

The iPad Air and iPad Pro have also seen price rises. In France, the iPad Air M4 now has a starting price of 819 euros, while the iPad Pro with the M5 chip starts at 1 319 euros. This is not an exhaustive list: our colleagues at iPhon.fr have compiled the full list of Apple products whose prices have just increased.

An unprecedented situation unlikely to improve soon

In a statement published by CNBC, Apple justified this round of price increases by saying that the electronics industry is facing unprecedented challenges. “The rapid expansion of AI data centres has generated extraordinary growth in demand for memory and storage. Never before has the price of a component risen so sharply and so quickly,” the company explained.

“We know this news is not welcome, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions,” Apple also said.

The memory chip shortage could continue beyond 2027

Unfortunately, the memory chip shortage behind these price rises is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. Micron, one of the leading suppliers of memory chips, recently presented its financial results. During that presentation, the company referred to an order book that remains full and forecast that the memory chip shortage will stretch well beyond 2027.