Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices amid AI chip surge
Apple just bumped up prices for MacBooks and iPads, thanks to a big jump in memory and storage chip costs driven by AI demand.
The base MacBook Neo now starts at $699, $100 more than before.
If you're wondering, iPhone prices haven't changed.
DRAM prices up to 98%
Memory chips (especially DRAM) are getting expensive fast, with prices soaring as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026 as AI data centers grab all the supply.
Apple says it has tried to protect customers, but finally had to raise prices: "We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today's increases for iPad and Mac."
Analysts expect global smartphone sales to drop nearly 14% and PC sales to fall 11.3% this year because of these rising costs.