AI Memory Shortage Drives Apple Price Hikes Across Mac, iPad, and Vision Pro

Apple has raised prices across its entire product lineup, including Macs, iPads, and the Vision Pro, due to an AI-driven flash memory shortage. The MacBook Neo now starts at $699, up from $599. The iPad Pro jumped from $999 to $1,199, and the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra saw the largest increase, from $3,999 to $5,299. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported this as an "extreme measure" for Apple, which rarely hikes prices. Apple CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that increases are unavoidable as AI companies outbid each other for finite memory supply, creating a shortage that even Apple cannot absorb. The MacBook Neo shipped 1.1 million units in its first few months. Other affected products include the iPad Air ($749, up $150), MacBook Air ($1,299, up $200), MacBook Pro ($1,999, up $300), iMac ($1,499, up $200), Mac Studio with M4 Max ($2,499, up $500), HomePod (up $50), HomePod mini ($129, up $30), and Apple TV ($199, up $70). IEEE Spectrum speculates relief could arrive in 2028. The next iPhone lineup, expected in September, may also be affected.