On June 25, Apple hiked MacBook and iPad Pro prices in China by $200-$300 due to AI. iPhones unchanged but expected to rise; other brands also up.
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Apple Just Raised Prices. AI Is Quietly Adding to Your Bills
Apple just made its products more expensive — and AI is the reason.
On June 25, Apple raised prices for several iPad and MacBook products, citing what it called "unprecedented challenges" caused by the rapid expansion of AI data centers, which has driven up global demand for memory and storage components.
An Apple spokesperson said the company had tried to absorb the rising costs for as long as possible, but the pressure had become too large. Apple had "never seen component prices rise at such a shocking speed and scale."
Here are some examples of the price changes:
The MacBook Air rose from USD 1,099 to USD 1,299. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro went from USD 1,699 to USD 1,999. The 11-inch iPad Pro increased from USD 999 to USD 1,199.
In China, the changes are already showing up. Staff at Apple's Beijing Sanlitun store confirmed that some products had completed price adjustments. Apple's Tmall flagship store was temporarily listed as "updating," while several products on JD appeared as sold out.
What about iPhones? For now, iPhone prices have not changed. But analysts expect that may not last. Some forecasts suggest the base model of the iPhone 18 Pro could cost at least USD 200 more than its predecessor.
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Apple is not alone. Since earlier this year, several Chinese smartphone and electronics brands, including OPPO, OnePlus, vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei, and Lenovo, have also raised prices on some products as component costs rise.
The AI boom is no longer just a story about tech companies and data centers. It is showing up in the price of the phone in your pocket, the laptop on your desk, and the tablet on your coffee table.
If you have been thinking about upgrading your devices, it may be worth acting sooner rather than later. Prices are unlikely to come down anytime soon.
Source: 新黄河
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