Planning to buy a MacBook? Here's why Apple suddenly made it much more expensive

Buying an Apple device has become significantly more expensive, and the reason goes far beyond inflation or annual price revisions. The company has raised prices across several hardware products globally, pointing to a sharp increase in the cost of memory and storage components as artificial intelligence reshapes the semiconductor industry.The latest price revisions affect MacBooks, iPads, HomePod speakers and Apple TV devices, while the iPhone lineup remains unchanged. Apple said it absorbed higher component costs for as long as possible but has now begun passing part of the increase on to customers."We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," the company said in a statement, adding that it had shielded customers from rising costs until existing inventory was exhausted.So, why is AI making your next MacBook more expensive?The answer lies inside the chips powering today's AI revolution.Artificial intelligence systems require massive amounts of high-performance memory to train and run advanced models. As companies building AI infrastructure race to secure these components, memory manufacturers are prioritising enterprise customers over consumer electronics makers.That has created a supply squeeze for products such as laptops, tablets and smart home devices.Market research firm TrendForce estimates that prices of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), used across smartphones, PCs and tablets, surged by as much as 98% during the first quarter of 2026. The firm expects another 58-63% increase in the current quarter, adding further pressure on device manufacturers.The trend is also reflected across the semiconductor industry. Memory maker Micron recently disclosed $22 billion in long-term customer commitments, highlighting how AI companies are locking in supplies of advanced memory.Which Apple products have become more expensive?The increases span Apple's Mac and iPad portfolio globally.In the US, the entry-level MacBook Neo now starts at $699, up from $599. The MacBook Air with 512GB storage has risen from $1,099 to $1,299, while the MacBook Pro with 1TB storage now starts at $1,999 instead of $1,699.The iPad Air with 128GB storage now starts at $749, compared with its earlier price of $599. HomePod speakers and Apple TV streaming devices have also become more expensive.India has witnessed some of the sharpest revisions.The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip, launched at ₹1,19,900, is now priced at ₹1,49,900. The 15-inch variant has increased from ₹1,44,900 to ₹1,79,900.The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip now costs ₹2,39,900, a jump of ₹70,000 from its launch price. Meanwhile, certain high-end MacBook Pro configurations powered by the M5 Max chip have become nearly ₹1 lakh more expensive.Apple has also revised prices for its iPad lineup. The 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 processor now starts at ₹89,900 instead of ₹64,900, while the iPad Pro with the M5 chip and 256GB storage has increased from ₹99,990 to ₹1,39,900.Why memory matters more than everUnlike earlier generations of consumer devices, AI-powered hardware requires significantly larger memory capacities to support on-device intelligence.Features such as AI assistants, image generation, writing tools and local language models rely on faster RAM and storage, making these components central to future product development.Manufacturers are also investing billions of dollars in custom silicon, AI software and new hardware architectures, increasing overall development costs.As AI capabilities become a standard expectation rather than a premium feature, industry analysts expect larger memory configurations to become common across laptops, tablets and smartphones.Is this just Apple's problem?Not really.Apple may be the first major consumer electronics company to formally attribute price increases to the AI-driven memory crunch, but the broader industry is facing the same challenge.As semiconductor companies continue diverting production towards AI infrastructure, hardware manufacturers across the PC and consumer electronics market are expected to face higher procurement costs.The impact is already worrying investors. Following Apple's announcement, its shares fell nearly 5%, while Dell declined more than 8%, reflecting concerns that higher device prices could weaken consumer demand.For buyers planning to upgrade their laptop or tablet this year, the latest revisions suggest the AI era is changing more than software. It is also changing what consumers pay for the hardware that powers it.Also read: Apple hikes MacBook and iPad prices as AI-driven memory costs rise; India sees increases of up to Rs 1 lakh