Mac and iPad Got Drastically More Expensive - and the Culprit Is AI's Hunger for Memory

If you were planning to buy a new Mac or iPad, the bad news is they've just gotten more expensive - and not by a little. Apple has raised the prices of almost its entire line of computers and tablets, with only the iPhone so far escaping a hike.

The numbers are concrete. The MacBook Air jumped from 1,099 to 1,299 dollars, the basic MacBook Pro from 1,699 to 1,999, and the Mac Studio from 1,999 all the way to 2,499 dollars. Among tablets, the iPad Air rose from 599 to 749, and the basic iPad from 349 to 449 dollars. The HomePod, Apple TV and Vision Pro got pricier too.

The surprise is in the reason. This time it's not Trump's tariffs to blame, but something else - a memory shortage. Apple stated openly that „the rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage." In other words, the AI industry's hunger for chips is leaving ordinary buyers short on components - and with a higher bill.

An analyst noted that memory prices have risen more than fourfold since the end of 2025, to the point where Apple had to pass the costs on to buyers to avoid a serious loss. The same day, Xbox also raised its prices, so the trend no longer looks like an exception.

For consumers in the Balkans, this isn't an abstract piece of news from Silicon Valley. When the base price in the US jumps by 200 dollars, here it ends up meaning an even bigger difference after all the taxes and margins. Tim Cook has already hinted the iPhone could get more expensive later this year. The paradox is clear: the AI boom, sold to us as a future that will make life easier, has first emptied our pockets at the checkout.