Device prices surge as repair rights fight back

Make Do – As component costs and AI-driven demand tighten the supply chain, major device makers are raising prices—from Apple to Microsoft. A growing push for repairs and replacement-friendly rules in places like Oregon and the EU is offering a practical counter to the

A training manual for clothes waste might sound far away from today’s gadget shops. But the logic fits. During World War Two. Britain ran a campaign called “Make Do and Mend. ” with government-issued training manuals and local groups teaching people how to make and repair their clothes. Now. with component costs rising and device prices climbing. the argument is getting louder: it’s time to carry that mindset over to our electronics.

The pressure isn’t just retail greed. The AI bubble’s hunger for data center capacity has swallowed the tech industry pipeline whole. That has left only a handful of companies making the components that keep modern machines running. Only one company is capable of making cutting-edge chips. while a handful more produce RAM and SSDs—but none can satisfy the rising demand. Consulting firm Kearney says the global “RAMpocalypse” is likely to remain an issue until 2030.

So the cost hits show up at the checkout. Apple is raising device prices across the board. Valve’s much-vaunted console alternative. the Steam Machine. is priced at $1. 049 without a controller. and Valve said that figure is far in excess of what it wanted to charge for the hardware. Microsoft has added another $150 to the price of the 1TB Xbox Series X and up to $600 to the price of its most recent Surface laptops. and not even the “good ones.”.

The easy reaction is to shrug—accept the higher prices because this is a global issue. The source points to a wider backdrop of global conflicts. many of which were not necessary to enter. sending food and energy prices into the stratosphere. But even if the broader economy can’t be fixed quickly. the device squeeze can still be confronted in a more hands-on way. The question now is blunt: what happens if people choose not to buy anything new for the next year or two unless they really have to?. What if a Make Do and Mend approach becomes a kind of solidarity—helping others keep their devices working instead of treating replacements as inevitable?.

That approach also runs into a familiar frustration: one component failing shouldn’t automatically turn into a full replacement. For years. the industry has worked to undermine people’s ability to keep their machines running longer. pushing an attitude of “upgrade instead of repair.” And with the source suggesting it won’t walk that back any time soon. the duty shifts—back to users.

This is where lived experience enters. The piece describes how. after switching to Mac in 2005. the author felt like they’d lost their knack for working with electronics. It wasn’t until they covered climate and sustainability that repairs started to feel simple. They name Fairphone devices. saying they can be torn apart and put back together in minutes. and they say they can tear down a Framework laptop with their eyes closed. From those early steps. they began taking on more repairs in their own life—swapping out a broken backlight from an in-laws TV. They also describe balking at a quote to fix a lawnmower, then finding the replacement part online for £9.

If you don’t want to go that far, the source argues, the next step can be supporting a local independent repair store. Sharing knowledge—and perhaps even tools—with friends and the local community can make repair feel less intimidating and more doable.

It’s not only individual effort. The piece points to policy momentum as well. In 2024, Oregon was the first state to ban parts pairing, enabling the use of third-party replacements in hardware. The EU has been working to mandate repairs as part of its broader crackdown on e-waste. and devices sold after February 18. 2027 must have easily replaceable batteries.

And when something can’t be repaired at all, the suggestion is to look sideways instead of upward. Start with refurbished stores. The source says companies selling certified used hardware are positioned to take advantage. especially given the “walls of iPhones” usually seen in local secondhand electronics shops. If someone can resist the pull of the newest and fanciest gear being pushed at every turn. they might be able to enjoy last year’s flagship at a half decent discount.

Underneath all of it is a challenge directed at the industry itself. The argument is that companies shouldn’t rely on people meekly accepting whatever is put in front of them. It’s doubly true. the source says. for companies that used their wealth to make reckless investments in AI—investments that. in this telling. caused much of the trouble now hitting device affordability.

If Make Do and Mend is going to matter in the age of data centers and chip shortages, it won’t be through slogans alone. It will be through behavior: repairs where possible, community support where needed, and the refusal to treat every failure as permission to start over.

device prices repairs Make Do and Mend AI data centers RAMpocalypse Kearney Apple price increases Valve Steam Machine Microsoft Surface laptops Xbox Series X price parts pairing ban Oregon EU repair mandates replaceable batteries refurbished electronics certified used hardware