Apple has raised prices on several Mac and iPad models, citing sharply rising memory and storage costs linked to surging demand from AI data centre buildouts.
In the US, the increases include a rise in the MacBook Air with 512GB of storage from $1,099 to $1,299, and the MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage from $1,699 to $1,999.
The iPad Air with 128GB of storage increased from $599 to $749. The MacBook Neo, Apple’s entry-level laptop, has also been repriced from $599 to $699 only months after launch.
Similar price increases have been applied across Apple’s global markets.
While the iPhone has been spared, Apple also raised prices on selected accessories, including HomePod and Apple TV devices.
The company said it could no longer absorb the pace of component inflation, describing an “extraordinary surge” in memory costs. It said: “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly,” adding that it had previously “shielded our customers from these increases” but had reached a point where pricing adjustments were necessary.
Apple said it is “working tirelessly to find solutions,” but did not detail specific mitigation measures beyond pricing changes.
AI Infrastructure Demand Is Reshaping Memory Supply
The price increases come amid a sharp escalation in demand for high-performance memory used in AI data centres.
DRAM prices rose as much as 98 percent in Q1 2026 and are forecast to increase a further 58 percent to 63 percent in the current quarter, according to industry tracking data.
The surge has been driven by rapid AI infrastructure expansion, which is absorbing large volumes of memory supply that would traditionally go into consumer devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Memory suppliers including Micron have shifted toward long-term supply agreements with AI-focused customers, further tightening availability for PC and device manufacturers.
Micron has said it has secured $22 billion in such commitments from customers seeking guaranteed access to memory supply.
MacBook Neo Loses Entry-Level Pricing Advantage
Apple’s price adjustments have also affected its newest entry-level laptop, the MacBook Neo, which launched in March at $599 and now costs $699 in the US.
