Apple to raise device prices due to memory shortage

Apple CEO Tim Cook has for the first time openly acknowledged that the company can no longer keep device prices from rising. The main reason is an acute shortage of memory chips and storage drives, triggered by explosive demand for components for artificial intelligence systems.

Cook discussed this in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Why Apple is raising prices

According to Cook, Apple had long tried to shield customers from price increases by offsetting rising component costs through internal reserves and production optimization. However, the situation has become unsustainable.

The company is feeling the shortage of RAM particularly acutely, although the problems also affect the SSD storage market. Supply is shrinking precisely when users are expecting devices to have more memory capacity to handle new AI features.

Cook compared the current crisis to a once-in-a-century flood, noting that in over 40 years of working in the industry, he had never encountered a situation like this.

Possible consequences for buyers

Although Cook did not specify particular models or the size of the increases, analysts have already given preliminary estimates. According to TechInsights, to maintain current profitability, Apple may need to raise the price of the iPhone 18 Pro by approximately $270.

The changes are likely to affect future generations of iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

General trend in the industry

Apple is not alone in this problem. In recent months, Samsung, Microsoft, Sony, and Dell have already raised prices on their products, having faced similar memory shortages amid the AI boom.

In brief

Apple plans to raise prices on its devices due to a sharp increase in the cost of memory and storage, driven by demand from the AI industry. Tim Cook has acknowledged that the company can no longer offset rising component costs through internal reserves. This is the first official confirmation of impending price increases for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Other major technology companies have already taken similar measures.