Apple hikes prices on popular tech: here's how you can save
Apple recently confirmed that the global RAM shortage will indeed affect its future pricing for many popular products, and hasn't wasted time in reflecting these price changes on its website.
Fortunately, savvy shoppers in the market for a new Macbook, iPad or much of the rest of the range can still make savings, as these increases haven't yet made their way to many other retailers.
Find out which retailers are selling at lower prices in our guide to the best Apple deals.
Why is Apple raising prices?
As with many other tech products, fundamental components in Apple's range include storage and RAM (memory) chips, and prices of these having been going up significantly. This is in large part down to the increased demand for these components to power AI data centres, which has created an imbalance between supply and demand.
Apple's not the only company to have increased prices, and it won't be the last. In February this year we reported on the upcoming smartphone price hikes, and how you can make savings. This includes choosing devices with good support periods and considering previous generation or refurbished products.
Now's the time to buy if you're interested in Apple kit
Paul Lester, Which? Technology editor says:
'Many in the industry saw this coming, but few predicted quite how steep some of these price rises would be. As you can see below, the increase on some Apple products is eye-watering, and while (fortunately) the official Apple Store isn't the only place you can buy them, time will tell how long it'll be before retailers catch up.
'If you're in the market for an Apple device, seriously consider shopping around now. You can also take a closer look at older models and the refurbished market, where relative bargains can be found.'
Which products has Apple raised prices on?
Comparing the previous prices and new prices on Apple's own website, a wide range of products have now been increased, including the popular Macbook Neo and other models in the Macbook and iMac range, the iPad, Homepod and Apple TV. Here's how the prices compare.
| Model | Previous Price | New Price | Increase |
| MacBook Neo (256GB) | £599.00 | £699.00 | £100.00 |
| MacBook Neo (512GB) | £699.00 | £799.00 | £100.00 |
| 13-inch M5 MacBook Air | £1,099.00 | £1,299.00 | £200.00 |
| 15-inch M5 MacBook Air | £1,299.00 | £1,499.00 | £200.00 |
| 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro | £1,699.00 | £1,999.00 | £300.00 |
| 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro | £2,199.00 | £2,499.00 | £300.00 |
| 14-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro | £3,599.00 | £4,099.00 | £500.00 |
| 16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro | £2,699.00 | £2,999.00 | £300.00 |
| 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro | £3,899.00 | £4,399.00 | £500.00 |
| M4 Mac mini | £599.00 | £799.00 | £200.00 |
| M4 Pro Mac mini | £1,299.00 | £1,599.00 | £300.00 |
| M4 iMac (2 Thunderbolt ports) | £1,299.00 | £1,499.00 | £200.00 |
| M4 iMac (4 Thunderbolt ports) | £1,499.00 | £1,699.00 | £200.00 |
| M4 Max Mac Studio | £1,999.00 | £2,499.00 | £500.00 |
| M3 Ultra Mac Studio | £3,999.00 | £5,299.00 | £1,300.00 |
| A16 iPad | £349.00 | £429.00 | £80.00 |
| iPad mini | £499.00 | £599.00 | £100.00 |
| 11-inch iPad Air | £599.00 | £749.00 | £150.00 |
| 13-inch iPad Air | £699.00 | £949.00 | £250.00 |
| 11-inch iPad Pro | £999.00 | £1,199.00 | £200.00 |
| 13-inch iPad Pro | £1,299.00 | £1,499.00 | £200.00 |
| HomePod | £299.00 | £349.00 | £50.00 |
| HomePod mini | £99.00 | £129.00 | £30.00 |
| Apple TV 4K | £129.00 | £199.00 | £70.00 |
| Apple TV 4K (Ethernet) | £149.00 | £249.00 | £100.00 |
| Vision Pro | £3,499.00 | £3,499.00 | £0.00 |
Prices correct as of 25/6/26
Will the iPhone 18 be more expensive?
It certainly looks like it. We won't know for sure until the new iPhones are announced (which is usually in September), but reports suggest there will be increases this year.
If you're holding out for a new iPhone, you might want to reconsider, particularly as the improvements between generations haven't been terribly significant in recent years. Again, the smart money is usually on buying an older or refurbuished model. You can find plenty of examples of the savings that can be made in our guide to the best iPhone deals.
Paying attention to how long a device is supported is more important than ever – use our smartphone support calculator to see if your phone is in need of an upgrade.
Can we expect more price rises from other tech brands?
Unfortunately, yes. Any products with storage or memory could be facing the same issue – think PCs, laptops, tablets and phones, as well as others like smartwatches, games consoles and even TVs.
Many companies including Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo and Acer have all acknowledged the impact of these increases so you can expect to see an impact on much of the tech we buy, though it may not be as steep as Apple's.
Another thing to look out for is downgrading. Some companies may look to tackle these increases by using previous generation chips or lower powered components from less premium devices to help manage costs. In practical terms users may not notice a difference day-to-day, but it's still something to be wary of if you're paying big for a premium device.
Our guide to the best Apple deals includes our highlights of the best bargains, which have become all the sweeter given that they may not be set to last.
