Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as AI memory chip shortage worsens - TechNext.ng

Apple has raised prices on its MacBook and iPad lines due to a surge in memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry's massive data center expansion. This move reflects the broader impact o... Read original →

The AI data center boom’s insatiable demand for high-bandwidth DRAM is triggering a supply chain cascade: 3nm fab capacity prioritizes server chips, squeezing LPDDR5X allocation for MacBooks and iPads. Apple leverages long-term agreements with suppliers in Taiwan, China and Korea to mitigate impact, while Dell and others face component downgrades or steeper hikes. U.S. CHIPS Act subsidies won’t resolve EUV lithography bottlenecks before 2026, adding compliance overhead without near-term relief. Over the next 12 months, IDC forecasts a 7% contraction in PC/tablet shipments as NVIDIA and AI chipmakers increasingly dictate memory specs downstream. This cost shockwave, born from trillion-dollar AI infrastructure bets, is redrawing hardware value chains—not just raising prices.