Apple may – Apple CEO Tim Cook says price increases may be unavoidable if a global shortage of memory chips continues to push up DRAM and NAND costs across consumer electronics. He didn’t specify timing, amounts, or which products could be hit, after Apple already raised
If you’ve been holding off on buying an iPhone, MacBook, or iPad, the wait may cost more than you think. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, says price increases on some products could be unavoidable as a global shortage of memory chips drives costs higher across consumer electronics.
In an exclusive interview published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal. Cook said. “Unfortunately. price increases are unavoidable.” He added. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us. and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases. but the situation has become unsustainable.”.
Cook tied the pressure directly to the supply crunch rather than tariffs or new features. arguing that the industry needs memory pricing and supply to return to “reasonable levels for consumer products.” “We definitely need memory pricing and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
He also described the memory-price swings as “a hundred-year flood.” Yet he did not spell out when the increases could arrive, how large they might be, or which specific products would be affected—leaving shoppers with a familiar anxiety: timing, not intention.
The memory shortage is colliding with a moment of demand. As artificial intelligence companies race to build ever-larger models. they are also snapping up vast quantities of memory chips used in data centers. That surge is squeezing supplies of DRAM and NAND chips, which also power everyday gadgets—from laptops to smartphones.
Earlier this year, Apple already moved some prices upward for its MacBook lineup. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip jumped to $2,199 from $1,999. The 16-inch model rose to $2,699 from $2,499.
Apple isn’t acting alone. Other tech companies, including Microsoft, have increased prices as memory costs soar. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently predicted the industry could see “no relief until 2028.”
For customers, the consequence is blunt: a laptop or phone sitting in an online cart today could cost noticeably more tomorrow.
Tim Cook Apple memory chips shortage DRAM NAND price increases MacBook Pro M5 Pro Microsoft Lip-Bu Tan AI demand consumer electronics costs 2028 relief