A memory shortage triggered by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is pushing up prices of consumer electronics. Apple on the 25th (local time) adjusted prices across major products including MacBooks and iPads on its online store. MacBook prices rose $100 to $300 depending on the model, and iPads rose $100 to $200.
The MacBook Pro increased from $1,699 to $1,999, and the MacBook Air from $1,099 to $1,299. The entry-level MacBook Neo, launched for students in March at $599, also jumped $100 to $699. Domestic prices likewise climbed from 990,000 won to 1.19 million won. The top-spec 16-inch MacBook Pro rose to $9,999 in the United States and 16.99 million won in Korea.
The ultra-compact PC Mac mini was no exception. Apple earlier effectively raised the floor price by switching the base model to 512GB, and this time, even as it revived the 256GB model, it set the price at $799. The domestic price for the 256GB model jumped from 890,000 won early in the year to 1.349 million won.
The base iPad was raised $100, the iPad Air $150, and the iPad Pro $200. Prices for the HomePod and Vision Pro also went up, but the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods were excluded from this adjustment.
Apple said that because of the expansion of AI data centers, demand for memory and storage has grown abnormally, and component price increases are at an unprecedented level. Chief Executive Tim Cook earlier likened the surge in memory prices to a "once-in-a-century flood," hinting at the possibility of passing on costs.
The market reaction was cool. On concerns that price hikes could lead to weaker demand, Apple shares fell about 5% intraday on the day of the announcement. The industry expects that as production capacity concentrates on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers, PC, tablet, and smartphone makers will face sustained cost pressures for the time being.