Apple is preparing to raise prices on some of its products as soaring costs and tightening supplies of memory and storage chips put pressure on the company’s manufacturing expenses, according to a report published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal.
The company has not announced how much prices will increase or which products will be affected, but industry analysts expect future iPhones, Macs, and iPads could see higher price tags as Apple seeks to offset rising component costs.
The move comes amid an unprecedented boom in demand for memory and storage chips driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Technology giants are investing billions of dollars in AI data centers and servers, which require large amounts of specialized memory. As a result, supplies available for consumer electronics have tightened and prices have climbed sharply.
Industry research firms report that memory and storage chip prices have increased severalfold over the past year, with shortages expected to continue into 2027 despite manufacturers’ plans to expand production capacity.
The impact could be significant for consumers. Analysts estimate that maintaining current profit margins could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of future premium smartphones. Some forecasts suggest smartphone and personal computer prices in the United States could rise by about 15% this year as manufacturers pass higher costs along to buyers.
Apple faces additional challenges because its newest devices increasingly rely on larger amounts of memory to support artificial intelligence features. The company recently unveiled major upgrades to Siri and other AI-powered tools that require more advanced hardware.
The memory market is dominated by a handful of manufacturers, including South Korea-based Samsung and SK Hynix and U.S.-based Micron. Those companies have benefited from surging demand as AI firms compete to secure long-term chip supplies for data centers.
Other technology companies have already begun raising prices on computers, gaming systems and related electronics as supply constraints continue.
Apple is reportedly exploring ways to support increased chip production and improve supply availability, but industry experts believe shortages are likely to persist for several years. Until additional manufacturing capacity comes online, consumers shopping for new Apple devices may face higher prices than they have in recent product cycles.
The company’s next major product launch is expected this fall, when Apple is widely anticipated to introduce its iPhone 18 lineup, potentially making it the first major test of consumer reaction to higher prices.
Source: WSJ