Apple has raised prices on a large number of its products all at once. The MacBook Neo now starts at $699 instead of the previous $599, and the most affordable MacBook Air went up from $1,199 to $1,299. The increase also affected other models: MacBook Pro, iPad, iPad Air, and more. Let’s state the main point right away: iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods have remained at their old prices for now.
Prices on some items have jumped quite significantly
New Apple Product Prices in Russia
The increase affected base starting prices across several product lines. Here’s everything known about the new pricing as of publication:
The MacBook price hike is the most frustrating
- MacBook Neo — $699 (was $599), approximately from 85,000 ₽ in Russia
- 13-inch MacBook Air — $1,299 (was $1,099), approximately from 130,000 ₽ in Russia
- 15-inch MacBook Air — $1,499 (was $1,299), approximately from 150,000 ₽ in Russia
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip — $1,999 (was $1,699), approximately from 200,000 ₽ in Russia
- iPad Pro — $1,199 (was $999), approximately from 100,000 ₽ in Russia
- iPad Air — $749 (was $599), approximately from 80,000 ₽ in Russia
- Apple Vision Pro — $3,699 (was $3,499), approximately from 394,000 ₽ in Russia
- HomePod — $349 (was $299), approximately from 38,000 ₽ in Russia
- HomePod mini — $129 (was $99), approximately from 14,000 ₽ in Russia
- Apple TV 4K — $199 (was $129), approximately from 22,000 ₽ in Russia
The list may still grow. The increase affected iPad and iPad Air, but exact new prices for them have not yet been announced. The tablet pricing update will most likely come separately, so it’s worth keeping an eye out. The ruble amounts here are approximate — we calculated them at an exchange rate of 76 rubles per dollar with a supplier markup factored in. The actual store price may differ, so this is more of a way to gauge the scale rather than a ready price list.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip starts at $1,999
Will Apple Raise Prices on iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch
If you’ve been eyeing a new Mac or iPad, this directly concerns you. Base Mac models have gone up by $100–200, and this hits hardest for those who were counting on the most affordable configuration. The difference in starting price is now more noticeable, and saving money on the entry-level version won’t be as easy as before.
iPhones haven’t gotten more expensive though
As for owners and buyers of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, there’s nothing to worry about for now — these lines were not affected by the increase. What happens next is still an open question. Cook spoke about a memory shortage in general, not just for Mac, so over time the wave could very well reach other devices too.
Keep one more thing in mind: talk about rising prices has been going on for more than just a month. Previously, there were discussions that iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices could get more expensive for entirely different reasons unrelated to memory. It turns out the current increase is just one of the factors putting pressure on prices.
Why Apple Raised Prices on Mac and iPad
The main reason is simple: a sharp increase in memory and storage costs. Apple CEO Tim Cook warned just last week that price increases had become inevitable. According to him, the company absorbed the impact for a while, but the situation became unsustainable due to soaring prices for RAM and storage.
Cook specifically pointed out that more and more memory is going toward servers for artificial intelligence. There simply aren’t enough memory manufacturers to meet everyone’s demand, device demand is high, and suppliers are passing the increased costs on to Apple. Mac and iPad heavily depend on memory in their base configurations, so they were hit by the new prices first.
In a statement to Reuters, Apple noted that it had never seen this kind of component price increase before. The company tried to shield buyers from the price hikes until the very end but reached a point where raising prices became unavoidable.
Should You Rush to Buy a Mac Now
If you’ve been planning a purchase for a while and have a specific model in mind, there’s not much point in waiting. Prices have already gone up, and a quick rollback shouldn’t be expected. Apple is openly talking about a memory shortage, and these things don’t get resolved in a week.
If you were planning to buy a MacBook, you should head to the store right now
However, if the purchase isn’t urgent, it’s wiser not to panic and not to grab the first thing available. Component shortages are a cyclical phenomenon, and in a few months the situation could very well change. The main thing is not to give in to the feeling that you need to buy right now before prices go up even more. The increase has already happened — it’s not looming as a threat somewhere ahead.
Another viable option is to consider previous-generation and refurbished models. Price increases usually affect them less noticeably, and the spec difference compared to the latest models is often minimal.
