Apple confirms price hikes across Macs, iPads, and more

The Apple Store is back online after being taken down briefly, and its return has brought with it some significant price increases across some of Apple's most popular products, including the MacBook Neo.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously warned that Apple would be increasing the price of some products as a result of a global RAM and storage shortage. The shortage has seen prices increase across the board.

"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today's increases for iPad and Mac," Apple said in a statement on Thursday. "We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions."

Now, Apple has sought to recoup some of the costs associated with component price increases. Now, popular laptops like the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air have seen price hikes alongside the iPad and iPad Air.

There are a number of price increases, but a jarring one is the entry-level MacBook Air. The laptop previously started at $1,099 but will now sell for $1,299. It's a similar story for the MacBook Neo, a previously $599 laptop that now sells for $699.

Pro laptops haven't fared any better. The M5 MacBook Pro has seen its price increase to $1,999, a massive $300 jump.

On the desktop, the iMac has increased from $1,299 to $1,499. The M4 Max Mac Studio has increased from $1,999 to a huge $2,499.

The biggest price increase was reserved for the M3 Ultra Mac Studio, though. That model previously retailed for $3,999 but will now set buyers back a cool $5,299. That Mac comes with 96GB of RAM, likely explaining the severity hike.

The HomePod mini has gone up to $129 from $99, with the HomePod climbing to $349.

Apple's iPad Air is up to $749, versus $599, with the iPad Pro climbing $200 to $1199.

Apple Vision Pro also saw a $200 hike, to $3699.

On a positive note, there doesn't appear to be any price increases across the iPhone lineup.

Below is a full rundown of all of the price increases we've seen today. We'll keep our eyes peeled for more, too.

MacBook Neo price

Apple's entry-level Mac wasn't a $599 marvel for long.

The iconic MacBook Air now starts at $1,299 for the 13-inch model.

Those buying a Pro-level MacBook will have to pay inflated prices, starting at $1,999.

The desktop Macs have also experienced price hikes, with the Mac Studio worst affected.

Tablet buyers have seen iPads increase in price as a result of today's changes, too.

Nothing is safe from Thursday's price increases. Even HomePod minis have seen their prices go up.

• HomePod: $349 (Original price: $299)
• HomePod mini: $129 (Original price: $99)
• Apple TV 4K: $199 (Original price: $129)
• Vision Pro: $3,699 (Original price: $3,499)

Buy from third parties to save money

While Apple has updated its own online store to reflect the new prices, third-party retailers like Amazon have yet to follow suit. And that means that anyone considering buying one of the affected devices should consider buying from such a retailer. And soon.

We recommend checking third-party MacBook Neo prices before buying directly from Apple. The same applies to MacBook Pro prices, and it especially applies to Mac Studio prices, the worst-impacted device of all.

Additionally, Amazon's Prime Day sales are still up and running and will remain that way until June 26. That means now is definitely the time to buy your new Mac or iPad. The clock is very much ticking.

What is this all about?

The entire industry is under price pressure for three reasons: Nvidia price increases, RAM price increases, and flash memory supply constraints. All three are because of demand by AI providers and data centers.

Apple isn't impacted by Nvidia price increases. It is, however, hit hard by RAM and Flash pricing. Apple's size and advance buys have kept this price hike from happening before, but the writing has been on the wall for some time.

Apple discontinuing the entry-level Mac mini and about a dozen Mac Studio configurations is related to the supply chain price hikes, and new models with M5 imminent.