Apple price hikes and Watch battery woes signal AI‑driven cost surge

Apple announced significant price increases for its iPhone, iPad and MacBook lines, citing an unprecedented rise in component costs driven by the expanding use of advanced chips in AI data‑center infrastructure. CEO Tim Cook described the situation as a “once‑in‑four‑decades” challenge, noting that demand for memory and storage has surged as AI workloads grow. The price adjustments include $100 more for the MacBook Neo, $200 for the MacBook Air, $300 for the MacBook Pro, $100 for the base iPad, $100 for the iPad Mini and $200 for the iPad Pro. Apple’s shares fell about 6% on the news, the sharpest drop since April 2025.

Separately, analysts highlighted ongoing concerns over the battery life of Apple Watch models. The entry‑level SE 3 offers roughly 18 hours of use, while the Series 11 provides about 24 hours, and the Ultra 3 can reach up to 72 hours in power‑saving mode. Despite improvements, these figures still lag behind competitors that can run for several days on a single charge, prompting criticism of the watches’ endurance compared with other wearable brands.