Apple carried out a massive price increase on nearly all of its products, but several product lines have still kept their previous prices. Considering that the price hike was quite significant, the surviving lineups are quite surprising. I’ll be honest — I expected new prices primarily on these gadgets, but as it turned out, Apple and I have different perspectives. If you’ve been eyeing one of these gadgets, now is the best time to buy.
The most popular product lines were unaffected by the price increase. But only for now
Why Mac, iPad, and Other Apple Devices Got More Expensive
Apple raised prices on a large portion of its products at once, but some lineups were not affected. The reason was a shortage of RAM and storage, demand for which has been fueled by the rapid development of AI.
The price increase did happen after all
A week earlier, Tim Cook named the main reason for the upcoming price increase and directly warned that price growth was “inevitable.” At the time, his words sounded like a cautious forecast, but today those very prices have already gone up.
Memory and storage have noticeably increased in price on the global market in recent months, and Apple is passing part of these costs on to the consumer. Memory chips are currently in high demand from AI developers, data centers need more and more of them, and as a result, all tech manufacturers are feeling the shortage.
The increase turned out to be selective, and understanding Apple’s logic really helps decide whether to buy something right now or wait. Let’s go through all the categories and see what got more expensive and what didn’t.
Which Apple Devices Didn’t Get a Price Increase
The price increase bypassed three lineups entirely. iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods kept their prices unchanged — not a single model in these categories became more expensive today.
In numbers, that’s seven iPhone models, three Apple Watch models, and four AirPods models. Accessories apparently weren’t affected by the increase either, so all the small items like bands and cases are still selling at the old prices.
Surprisingly, iPhones kept their previous prices
- iPhone — all current models at the old price
- Apple Watch — three models unchanged
- AirPods — four models at the previous price
- Accessories — no increase so far
Which Apple Devices Got a Price Increase
The rest of the tech wasn’t as lucky. All Mac and iPad models got more expensive, as did smart home devices and Apple Vision Pro, with the new prices taking effect immediately.
iPad Pro’s price has skyrocketed, and now it’s even more unclear why you’d buy one instead of a MacBook
Several indirect signs suggested that the increase would happen sooner than many expected. So for those following the market, the news was more expected than sudden.
If you were planning to upgrade your laptop or tablet, it will now cost more than it did just yesterday. It’s especially frustrating for those who kept putting off their purchase of a new Mac or iPad and never managed to place an order at the old price.
The increase is felt most strongly on higher-end configurations with more memory and storage, since these are precisely the components that got more expensive first. So the more powerful the model you were considering, the more noticeable the difference will be on your receipt compared to yesterday.
Mac, iPad and Vision Pro have already gotten more expensive
When Could iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch Get More Expensive
Apple hasn’t named the exact reason. The most likely explanation is this: the company may be waiting until September, when new models are traditionally unveiled.
In the fall, we expect next-generation devices such as the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and other new products. It makes sense that prices for these lineups are more convenient to revise alongside the announcement rather than raising the price of outgoing models.
But there’s an important point. This is no guarantee that prices won’t go up later. It’s no coincidence that everyone carefully uses the word “for now” when referring to the lack of a price increase on these products: a price hike for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods could happen at any moment, even before fall.
Should You Buy an iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods Now
If you were already planning to buy one of these devices, now is a reasonable time to purchase. Current models remain at their previous prices, and after the fall announcements, the situation could easily change.
Hurry up and update your devices while prices still hold
Who should consider acting fast:
- Those who need an iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods right now, not someday
- Those who aren’t chasing the latest generation and are happy with current models
- Those who have been considering buying Apple accessories for a while
Those who don’t need to rush are the ones who were already waiting for the fall releases. It makes more sense for them to wait for the September announcement, even if prices go up.
