Apple hikes MacBook and iPad prices amid global memory chip shortage

Apple announced price increases of up to 20% on several MacBook models, iPads, HomePod and Apple TV, saying the surge in DRAM and NAND flash costs caused by AI data‑center demand is no longer absorbable. The MacBook Neo jumps from $599 to $699, the MacBook Air 512 GB from $1,099 to $1,299, the MacBook Pro 1 TB from $1,699 to $1,999 and the iPad Air 128 GB from $599 to $749. Apple said it had shielded customers until now but "never seen a component price increase this large arrive this quickly." The announcement knocked Apple’s share price down nearly 5 %. In parallel, Apple is lobbying the U.S. Commerce Department for permission to source DRAM chips from China’s CXMT, a company on the Pentagon’s Chinese Military Company blacklist. The White House has not granted clearance, and the chair of the House China Committee warned the move would be a "grave mistake." Apple previously faced similar scrutiny when it considered Chinese chipmaker YMTC in 2022. Industry analysts link the shortage to unprecedented AI‑driven demand for memory, with Micron forecasting the crisis to last until at least 2028. Elon Musk publicly backed Tim Cook’s remarks about the unprecedented price hikes.