Apple raises prices of MacBooks, iPads

Apple raised iPad and MacBook prices on Thursday, saying it could no longer shield customers from soaring memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry's data centre buildout.

The move does not affect Apple's main cash cow, the iPhone. But it would take starting price of the Neo – Its lowest priced laptop aimed at winning market share from affordable Windows and Chromebook laptops – from $599 to $699 months after launch.

The increase shows even the world's most valuable consumer electronics company with supply chain relationships that are the envy of the industry is not immune to a memory price surge that has dulled the outlook for smartphone and PC sales.

Memory makers such as Micron have in recent months prioritised orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia, helping them earn record profit but leaving little supply for electronics makers that have been forced to increase prices.

Apple hiked the price of MacBook Air with 512 gigabytes of storage rose to $1,299 from $1,099, while the MacBook Pro with 1 terabyte of storage rose to $1,999 from $1,699, according to updated prices on its website. The iPad Air with 128 gigabytes of storage rose from $599 to $749, among other changes. Analysts expect Apple to increase iPhone prices in the coming months.