Artificial intelligence requires a lot of computing power, RAM and persistent storage – and for this reason component prices in the IT industry currently only go in one direction: upwards. There is no relief in sight any time soon and most hardware manufacturers have noticeably raised their prices in recent months. So far, Apple customers have largely been spared. Apple canceled the basic version of the Mac mini (which ultimately increased the end customer price) and some configurations of the Mac Studio and Mac mini are only available with a long delay or not at all – but most models are on offer at the same prices.
Interview: Apple has to adjust prices
Apple’s current CEO Tim Cook now told the Wall Street Journal that price increases are inevitable. Apple has tried to offer customers stable prices for as long as possible – but the situation is now no longer tenable, said Cook. Cook already addressed the situation at the last and penultimate quarterly conference and said that Apple is currently still benefiting from long-term contracts – but now these seem to be expiring and Apple now has to renegotiate with suppliers. In the interview, the CEO particularly emphasized the price increases for RAM, but SSDs have also become noticeably more expensive. Storage prices in the end customer business must soon fall back to tolerable levels, says Cook.
Timeline and magnitude unknown
Unfortunately, Cook did not tell the Wall Street Journal when the price increases would come into effect – or how high they would be. It is conceivable that Apple will adjust the prices of the range upwards in the coming days or weeks – or only increase the end customer price for new launches (such as with the introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max next autumn). It is also completely unclear which product lines will be affected. It is almost certain that Macs will become more expensive because they usually have larger amounts of RAM installed – but iPhones and iPads are also likely to be affected.
