Apple raised the starting prices of its Mac and iPad lines on Thursday, passing the high price of memory and storage for consumers.
The company blamed the shortage of memory chips on the demand for AI data. Shares of Apple ( AAPL ) fell nearly 6%, as investors questioned whether the increase would slow sales.
Why Apple Raised Mac and iPad Prices Now
The extension reaches almost every Mac and iPad and works worldwide, according to Bloomberg. MacBook Neo now starts at $699, up from $599. The 13-inch MacBook Air went up to $1,299, while the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro hit $1,999, per 9 to 5mc.
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The prices of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods have been fixed. The split shows Apple is focusing on its high-memory devices. Apple had already moved quietly, canceling the March expansion with additional memory, and dropping the $599 Mac mini in May.
The price movement starts at the top. Contract prices for DRAM used in PCs and phones rose in the first quarter. This was the steepest jump on record, according to TrendForce.
Memory makers Samsung and SK Hynix have changed things up to meet each other The importance of AI memory from the data center. Apple is now competing for what’s left.
“We’ve never seen prices go up this much, so fast…we’re now at the point where we’re going to have to start raising prices on a number of things, including the latest iPad and Mac models,” Apple, in words to Reuters
Help seems far away. Micron, whose stock has risen AI memory rallytold investors that the deficit will last until 2028.
Apple warned in April that things would get worse this year. Incoming CEO John Ternus will inherit the squeeze on Sept. 1.
Shares fell nearly 6% from their previous close to around $279. In the meantime, investors have tested whether the high-cost equipment will slow the rate of increase.
IBM Refers to Remote Planning
On the same day, International Business Machines (IBM) uncovered the first sub-1-nanometer chip technology. Its nanostack structure holds transistors in three dimensions.
The result packs nearly 100 billion transistors into a fingerprint device. This doubles the density of IBM’s 2-nanometer chip from 2021.
IBM says it’s up to 50% or 70% efficient. This kind of gain can reduce the squeeze that eats high inflation.
However, production lasts about five years. IBM shares rose as much as 6% in the market, then turned in a profit that investors expected.
This difference captures the two-dimensional pull of AI on hardware. The boom is driving up the prices of equipment these days, while repairs don’t last many years. Meanwhile, memory recall and chip stock reset are AI crypto tokens follow the money.
A note AAPL Stock Falls 6% After Apple Passes Price of AI-Driven Chip to Consumers appeared for the first time BeInCrypto.
