Apple raises Mac, iPad prices in India as memory costs surge amid AI boom
Apple hikes Mac and iPad prices in India by up to ₹70,000 as soaring DRAM and NAND costs from the AI boom squeeze margins and force the company to pass on component inflation to consumers.
Apple has increased the prices of several Mac and iPad models in India, with hikes ranging from ₹10,000 to as much as ₹70,000, according to updated listings on the company's India online store. The revised prices come as the iPhone maker grapples with soaring memory component costs, driven by booming demand for AI infrastructure.
Among the biggest increases, the 14-inch MacBook Pro now starts at ₹2,39,900, up from ₹1,69,900 earlier, making it costilier by ₹70,000. The 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at ₹1,49,900, compared with its earlier price of ₹1,19,900, while the 15-inch variant has been revised to ₹1,79,900 from ₹1,44,900. Apple has also raised the price of the MacBook Neo by ₹10,000 to ₹79,900.
On the iPad lineup, the 11-inch iPad Air now starts at ₹89,900, up from ₹64,900, while select iPad Pro models have also become significantly more expensive. The company has also revised prices for other products, including Apple TV and HomePod.
"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," Apple said in a statement to Reuters. "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." The company attributed the move to an unprecedented rise in DRAM and NAND flash memory prices, as artificial intelligence infrastructure investments have tightened global memory supplies.
Counterpoint Research estimates that the bill of materials for a flagship smartphone equipped with 16GB LPDDR5X DRAM and 512GB UFS 4.1 storage could increase by $100-$150 by the second quarter of 2026 as DRAM and NAND prices continue to rise, underscoring the mounting cost pressures facing consumer electronics manufacturers.
Apple shares fall as memory stocks rally
Apple's shares plunged 6.15% on Nasdaq on Thursday after the company announced the price hikes, reflecting investor concerns over the impact of rising component costs. In contrast, memory-chip stocks rallied as investors bet the AI-driven supply crunch would continue to benefit chipmakers. Micron Technology jumped 15.7%, Sandisk surged 22%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index gained 3.2% following Micron's upbeat earnings and outlook.