"MacBook Price Rises from 990,000 Won to 1,190,000 Won" Chipflation Becomes Reality... Apple and Microsoft Signal Further Hikes

Soaring Memory Prices Passed on to Consumers

MacBook and Other Devices Up by $100–$300

Further Increases Possible for iPhone and More

The impact of the global memory semiconductor supply shortage is becoming a reality, with price shocks now materializing. Apple and Microsoft (MS) have both decided to raise prices for consumer products. As the AI investment boom drives up memory prices, companies unable to absorb the additional costs have begun passing them on to consumers. Micron Technology anticipates that the memory supply shortage will persist beyond 2027, suggesting that the 'price hike domino effect' is likely to continue.

On June 25 (local time), Apple increased the prices of its products such as MacBooks and iPads by about $100 to $300 for entry-level models. MacBook prices rose by approximately 15-20%, while iPad prices increased by about 15-25%. The product with the highest rate of increase is the iPad Air, which jumped 25% from $599 to $749. The entry-level laptop, MacBook Neo, also saw a $100 increase to $699. In Korea, the price was raised from 990,000 won to 1,190,000 won. The top-tier 16-inch MacBook Pro now costs $9,999 in the United States and 16,990,000 won in Korea.

In a statement, Apple explained that it was raising prices due to a surge in demand for memory and storage devices as AI data centers expand. On June 17, Apple CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that he was forecasting price increases for Apple products, stating, "In my 40 years in the industry, I have never seen such a steep price increase. This is a once-in-a-century flood." There is also uncertainty as to when iPhone prices might rise. Apple mentioned the possibility of further product price hikes on this day. The company is set to launch the iPhone 18 series in September.

Wedbush Securities stated in a report that "Apple is known for leveraging its massive memory purchasing power to secure lower prices. However, this memory supply instability has ultimately forced Apple to raise prices," adding that "further price increases are possible." According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, memory and storage prices have quadrupled over the past three quarters. The report noted that rising memory prices could increase the manufacturing cost of an iPhone by about $200 per unit, predicting additional price hikes across all Apple products.

The memory-driven price hike domino effect is expected to spread throughout the electronics industry. The BBC pointed out that soaring memory costs are affecting the entire tech sector, including PCs and game consoles. MS has also announced plans to increase consumer product prices. Starting in August, MS will raise the price of its Xbox game consoles by up to $150. The company explained that "the prices of memory and storage devices for game consoles have already more than doubled, and are expected to nearly double again by next year," as the reason behind the price increase.

Valve, which operates a global PC platform, also set the price of its console-type PC 'Steam Machine' higher than its competitors on June 22. The lowest-priced version is set at 879 pounds in the UK and $1,049 in the US. This is significantly higher compared to the currently available PlayStation 5 Digital Edition ($599) or Xbox Series X Digital Version ($599). According to IT specialist media outlet The Verge, the company had originally planned to ship the new product earlier this year, but continued memory and storage shortages since February have led them to repeatedly review pricing and shipping schedules.

This round of price hikes is drawing particular attention in the industry, as it came just one day after memory company Micron announced a gross profit margin exceeding 80%. Micron reported that its adjusted gross profit margin for the third quarter of this year reached 84.9%, more than double the figure for the same period last year. This surpasses the market expectation of 81.9%. The company predicted that memory supply shortages, driven by AI demand, would continue beyond next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.