Apple Says Price Hikes Are Coming, But Won’t Say Which Devices Will Be Hit
Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that price increases for the company’s products are “unavoidable” in the coming months. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Cook attributed the increases to a severe global shortage of memory and storage chips that has driven hardware costs dramatically higher across the entire tech industry.
The shortage, which Cook characterized as a “hundred-year flood” unprecedented in his 40+ years of experience, has been exacerbated by surging demand from the artificial intelligence industry. With AI companies rapidly expanding their infrastructure, competition for memory components has intensified, reducing supply at precisely the moment when consumer electronics demand remains high.
Cook stated that Apple has attempted to mitigate the impact on customers, but the situation has become “unsustainable.” Both DRAM and storage components are affected by the shortage. While Apple had previously managed to shield consumers from most supply-chain cost pressures, the company can no longer absorb these increases.
Cook did not specify which Apple devices would see price increases or by how much, leaving consumers uncertain about which products—iPhones, Macs, iPads, or other hardware—would be affected. The announcement reflects how even Apple, with its massive purchasing power and market position, cannot escape the broader economic pressures reshaping the tech industry. The “RAMpocalypse,” as some have termed the shortage, continues to push companies across the sector to raise prices.