Last week, Apple issued a rare warning. The company will have to raise prices on its devices, and the blame lies with a shortage of RAM. Tim Cook didn’t specify the scale of the price increase or the timeline, and this ambiguity only fueled talk that the increase will be both significant and imminent. We’ve already covered the fact that the Apple CEO warned about price hikes, but now new details have emerged in this story.
Apple is ready to raise prices right now
How the Memory Shortage Affects Apple Device Prices
Cook shared the news in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. According to him, price increases have become inevitable: Apple has been trying to contain rising costs and avoid passing them on to buyers, but maintaining current price tags is no longer feasible.
The main reason lies in a RAM shortage. Demand for chips from the artificial intelligence industry has skyrocketed, and with it, procurement prices have risen. This impacts the cost of nearly all Apple products, from iPhone to Mac. The picture is similar with flash memory, which stores your photos and apps.
Tim Cook warned about price increases, but everyone thought it wouldn’t be immediate
This shortage isn’t momentary. Memory manufacturers are redirecting capacity toward the most profitable orders for data centers, and a quick turnaround isn’t expected. This means price pressure will persist for more than one quarter.
The very fact of such a statement is also significant. Apple typically doesn’t warn about price increases in advance, so Cook’s public words read as a signal: the increase may be far from symbolic. For now, it’s just a promise without specific figures or dates, so any estimates of the scale remain nothing more than guesswork.
When Could iPhone and Mac Prices Rise in 2026
At first, many assumed Cook was preparing the public for new price tags on the iPhone 18 Pro, expected in September. The logic is simple: warning in advance gives people time to come to terms with it. Especially since experts have already estimated the new iPhone 18 Pro price, and it clearly won’t please anyone.
Nobody is going to wait for the iPhone 18 Pro launch
But Mark Gurman from Bloomberg sees it differently. He believes the increase is very close — otherwise, there would be no point in talking about it right now. Gurman also mentioned Apple’s upcoming back-to-school sale: connecting the two events makes sense. In his opinion, prices will rise soon, not in the fall.
It’s also worth remembering Apple’s own habits. The company has kept base iPhone prices in the US at the same level for years and changed them extremely rarely. If Cook decided to speak about increases publicly, the reason must be truly serious.
An important caveat here: Gurman doesn’t cite insiders and explicitly calls this his own assumption. So what we have isn’t a leak but an informed theory, and it should be discussed as a theory rather than a confirmed fact.
Why Apple May Change Device Prices Before the iPhone 18 Presentation
Apple is ready to raise prices on the iPhone 17 as well
Why does a soon price increase look plausible? If you look closely, there are at least three compelling reasons, and each one argues against waiting until fall.
- Apple has spent years protecting its high margins — that is, profit per device. The memory shortage is hitting margins right now, so an early price adjustment seems like a logical step.
- John Ternus will take over as CEO on September 1. Starting with news of a price hike isn’t the best idea, and tying a price increase to the new iPhone presentation would tarnish the announcement.
- Next month, the third-quarter earnings report will be released. Cook is unlikely to want to end his tenure on a note of declining profits.
If this logic holds, prices could rise very soon, without waiting for the fall stage.
How a Possible Apple Price Increase Would Affect Prices in Russia
If you’ve already been eyeing current Apple models, the conclusion is obvious. Were you planning to get an existing device rather than waiting for the next generation? Then it’s probably not worth delaying.
Naturally, the price increase won’t bypass our country
Keep two limitations in mind, though. First, we’re talking about Apple’s own prices in its home markets, and exact figures aren’t available yet. Second, in Russia, the cost of Apple products already depends on exchange rates, retailer markups, and supply channels. So prices are guaranteed to go up.
Factor in logistics as well. While official sales in the country remain limited, the final price tag is made up of many links, so the connection between Apple’s decisions and the numbers in our stores is far from direct. Roughly speaking, even if Apple raises prices tomorrow, the impact here won’t be instant — it will come as new batches of products arrive.
What should you monitor in practice? The ruble exchange rate, promotions from major retailers, and eSIM offers if you’re buying a device for foreign SIM cards. Sometimes it’s more advantageous to catch a local discount than to speculate about Apple’s plans.
Should You Buy Apple Products Now or Wait
The price increase may affect current iPhone, Mac, and iPad models
