Apple’s Finally Raising Prices. Here’s What That Means for the Rest of the Tech Industry—and Its Customers

Apple increased prices on Macs, iPads, and more this week after months of shielding customers from an AI-driven memory shortage.

Illustration: Inc; Photo: Apple

Apple’s online store went dark for a stretch on June 25, and when it came back, prices across the entire lineup were higher. The MacBook Neo, the laptop Apple launched in March to pull buyers away from cheaper Windows machines and Chromebooks, now starts at $699 instead of $599. The 14-inch MacBook Pro climbed $300 to $1,999. The Apple TV jumped from $130 to $200. Across the U.S. site, increases ran from $30 to $300, although the iPhone, mercifully, was left untouched.

Apple does not like raising prices on products already on shelves, and it likely enjoys it even less when the reason is a supplier cost it cannot control. Supply chain mastery has been the company’s defining advantage for 20 years.........

© Inc.com