According to the updated prices on the company’s online store, the base model of the MacBook Neo has gone up in price from $599 to $699. The price of the MacBook Air has risen from $1,099 to $1,299, and the starting price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro has increased to $1,999 from the previous $1,699.
The price increase has also affected the tablet lineup. The price of the 11-inch iPad Pro has risen from $999 to $1,199, and the iPad Air now costs $749 instead of $599. Meanwhile, iPhone prices have remained unchanged, according to Investing.com.
Apple stated that the rapid expansion of data centers for artificial intelligence systems has led to a sharp increase in demand for memory chips and storage devices.
“We have never seen such significant and rapid growth in component prices,” a company spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, Apple had been absorbing the cost increases for customers for a long time, but it was no longer possible to continue doing so. “Until now, we have shielded our customers from these increases, but we have now reached a point where we must begin raising prices on a number of products, including today’s price increase for the iPad and Mac,” the company noted.
Apple also acknowledged that the decision may cause dissatisfaction among users.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously warned of a possible price increase. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, he called this move “inevitable” amid rising component costs.
“Supply is tightening at a time when consumers want devices, and memory suppliers are passing on massive price increases to us,” Cook said.
The rising cost of memory has become one of the key challenges facing the global electronics industry. Chip manufacturers are increasingly shifting production capacity toward components for artificial intelligence servers, for which demand is skyrocketing thanks to massive investments by major tech companies in AI infrastructure.
Analysts note that Apple’s decision could send a signal to the entire market, as other electronics manufacturers are also facing similar cost pressures.
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