Apple Raises Mac and iPad Prices — And More Increases Are Coming

Apple raised prices on Macs, iPads, HomePod, and the Vision Pro headset on Thursday, June 25 — and based on Apple’s own statement, today’s increases are likely just the first wave.

Hubvara is reader-supported. Links in this article are affiliate links — purchases made through them may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The culprit is the global shortage of memory and storage chips, which have quadrupled in cost over the past year as AI companies like Nvidia and AMD have consumed the majority of available supply for data center use. That’s left consumer electronics manufacturers competing for a shrinking pool of affordable chips — and Apple, which held prices steady longer than any other major tech company, has finally reached its breaking point.

“We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly,” Apple said in a statement. “We have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices.”

Apple’s stock fell as much as 6 percent on Thursday following the announcement.

---

Every Price That Changed Today

Mac:

• MacBook Neo: $599 → $699 (+$100)
• MacBook Air 13-inch: $1,099 → $1,299 (+$200)
• MacBook Pro 14-inch base: $1,699 → $1,999 (+$300)
• MacBook Pro 16-inch: $2,700 → $2,999 (+$300)
• Mac Studio: $1,999 → $2,499 (+$500)

iPad:

• iPad Air 11-inch: $599 → $749 (+$150)
• iPad Pro 11-inch: $999 → $1,199 (+$200)

Other:

• HomePod and Vision Pro also received price increases

Unchanged for now: iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods

---

Why This Is Happening

The AI boom has fundamentally disrupted the memory chip supply chain. Companies building AI infrastructure need massive quantities of high-bandwidth memory — and chip manufacturers like Micron have responded by prioritizing data center production over consumer-grade chips, which are less profitable per unit.

The result: consumer memory and storage prices have quadrupled over the past year, with no clear signs of relief ahead.

Apple had been absorbing those cost increases internally rather than passing them to customers — a position CEO Tim Cook confirmed in an April investor call, where he warned of “significantly higher memory costs” impacting the business. At the time Cook said the company expected those costs to have an “increasing impact” beyond June.

Microsoft raised Surface laptop prices in April. Apple was the last major holdout. That’s no longer the case.

---

More Price Increases Are Almost Certainly Coming

Apple’s statement today contains language that strongly suggests today’s moves aren’t the last. The company said it had reached a point where it needed “to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today’s increases for iPad and Mac.”

Two phrases stand out: “begin raising prices” — implying a process that’s just getting started — and “including today’s increases” — suggesting today’s announcement is one part of a broader plan, not the complete picture.

iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods were all spared in today’s announcement. But with the new iPhone 18 expected this fall, a price increase for Apple’s flagship product now seems highly likely. Apple Watch could follow the same path.

A second round of increases on Mac and iPad — if the memory shortage worsens — isn’t out of the question either, though that scenario is unlikely in the near term.

---

Should You Buy Now?

Yes, if:

• You need a Mac or iPad soon — prices are unlikely to drop before the next product cycle, and waiting only exposes you to potential additional increases
• You can still find pre-hike inventory at retailers — some third-party sellers may have units at old prices for a short window
• You were already planning to buy in the next few months

Wait if:

• You’re eyeing iPhone — no increase has been announced yet, though one is widely expected this fall when the iPhone 18 launches
• You don’t have an urgent need — the current Mac lineup launched earlier in 2026, so the next major hardware refresh is likely 12+ months away

---

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t an Apple-specific problem. The AI buildout has created a structural shift in the memory supply chain that’s affecting the entire consumer electronics industry. Prices for devices that rely heavily on RAM and storage — laptops, tablets, phones — are likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future across all brands.

---

Frequently asked questions

Will prices drop once the chip shortage eases? Historically, Apple has not reversed MSRP increases even when component costs moderate. The MacBook Air pricing that went up in 2022 due to supply chain strain didn’t come back down when conditions improved. A return to pre-hike pricing is unlikely — the more realistic scenario is the new prices becoming the permanent baseline.

Do these increases affect refurbished Apple products? Apple’s Certified Refurbished pricing typically tracks MSRP with a 15–20% discount. Refurbished prices haven’t updated as of this writing, which means refurbished Macs and iPads may represent the best near-term value window — units at a discount off the old price before refurb prices catch up.

Is this also happening to Windows laptops? Yes. Microsoft raised Surface prices in April, and other PC manufacturers have signaled similar moves. The memory chip supply constraint is not Apple-specific. Chromebooks and budget laptops using older LPDDR4 chips are currently less affected, since those chips aren’t in as direct competition with AI data center demand.

Which Apple product represents the best value after the increase? The MacBook Neo at $699 — the smallest absolute dollar increase of the bunch and a practical all-day machine for most students and light users. The MacBook Pro 14-inch absorbed the largest price jump at +$300 and no longer sits in the “just above Air” value position it once occupied.

---

All prices are US MSRP, effective June 25, 2026.