Tech buying decision · Anyone weighing a Mac, iPad, or iPhone upgrade

Apple Raised Mac and iPad Prices: Should You Buy Now or Wait?

Updated June 2026

Apple raised Mac prices by roughly 18% and iPad prices by up to about 25% in June 2026, citing a memory shortage driven by AI demand. If you need a Mac or iPad within the next year, buying now is the smart move — memory costs are forecast to climb further, so today’s prices are likely the floor, not the ceiling.

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In late June 2026, Apple did something it almost never does: it raised the prices of current-generation Macs and iPads mid-cycle. The cause is not greed or a new chip — it is a genuine, industry-wide memory shortage, and Apple itself says it had reached the point where it could no longer absorb the cost. That changes the usual "wait for the next sale" advice. Here is exactly what moved, why it is likely to move again, and a clear, honest framework for deciding whether to buy now or hold off.

Apple devicePrice status (June 2026)Buy now or wait?Where to buy
MacBook (13-inch)Raised ~18% on entry modelsBuy now if you need it within a year — further hikes are forecastCheck price on Amazon
iPad AirRaised ~19–25%Buy now — one of the steepest jumps, and supply pressure continuesCheck price on Amazon
iPhone (current gen)Unchanged so far; analysts expect increases within a yearLean buy if you are already due to upgradeCheck price on Amazon
Apple WatchNo announced change yetLower urgency, but the same memory pressure loomsCheck price on Amazon
AirPods ProNo announced change yetSafe to wait unless you want it nowCheck price on Amazon

What exactly changed in June 2026

Apple lifted prices across its computing line, not its accessories. The entry MacBook models went up by roughly 18%, the iPad Air saw one of the steepest moves at around 19–25% depending on size, and the high-end desktop Mac took the largest percentage jump of all. Apple framed it plainly: the rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage, and after absorbing the cost for months, it had reached a point where it needed to begin raising prices. The market noticed — Apple stock fell more than 5% on the news. The takeaway for a shopper is simple: this is not a temporary promotional swing you can wait out, it is a reset of the baseline price.

Why prices are likely to rise again, not fall

The reason this matters for timing is the trajectory of memory costs. DRAM — the working memory in every laptop, tablet, and phone — rose by as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026, and analysts forecast a further 58–63% increase in the current quarter. Microsoft, raising its own console prices in the same window, said storage and memory costs were already up more than 2.5 times and warned of another doubling by the autumn of 2027. None of that points to relief. When the components inside a device are getting more expensive every quarter, the finished-product prices that depend on them tend to follow. That is why "wait for it to drop" is the wrong instinct right now: the more probable path is another increase, not a discount.

Pros

  • The cause is structural and well-documented, not a rumor
  • Multiple makers raising prices for the same reason

Cons

  • Forecasts can shift if memory supply recovers faster than expected

Buy now or wait? The honest framework

The rule is about need, not fear. If a Mac or iPad is already on your list for the next six to twelve months — your laptop is failing, you are starting school, you are replacing a slow tablet — buying now very likely saves you money versus waiting, because the next move is more likely up than down. If you do not actually need the device, a price increase is not a reason to buy one; an unnecessary purchase at any price is still unnecessary. The middle case is the real judgment call: if you were on the fence about upgrading "sometime," the falling value of waiting tips that decision toward now. Pair the purchase with a quick check of the item’s price history so you buy at a genuine low rather than a quietly inflated "deal," and you get the best of both.

What about iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods?

Apple has not raised iPhone, Watch, or AirPods prices as part of this round, but the picture is not all clear. One analyst projected iPhone increases in the coming year, and the same memory pressure that pushed Macs and iPads up applies to phones, which are memory-dense devices. The practical reading: if you are due for a new iPhone anyway, leaning toward buying sooner is reasonable, while a Watch or AirPods purchase you are unsure about can safely wait, since neither has an announced change and both are lower-memory products. Watch for any quiet repricing around the autumn launch cycle, which is when phone adjustments typically land.

How to buy smart this week

Two things protect you from overpaying. First, check the price history before you commit — a genuine low sits at or near the bottom of the chart, while a "sale" that matches last quarter’s number is not one. Second, if you are tracking more than one device, keep them on a single list so you can grab whichever hits a real low first instead of buying on impulse. That is exactly what a MySecretCart wishlist is for, and buying through it earns you cashback on top of the price you pay. With Prime Day 2026 running through June 26, this window is also the last reliable discount event before the new, higher baseline fully settles in.

The verdict

Apple’s June 2026 increases are a baseline reset, not a passing sale, and memory costs are forecast to keep climbing. If a Mac or iPad is genuinely on your horizon within a year, buy now and check the price history first. If you do not need one, a price hike is not a reason to start.

Who should skip this

Skip buying right now if you do not actually need the device — a rising price is never, by itself, a reason to spend. Also hold off on an Apple Watch or AirPods purchase you are unsure about, since neither has an announced increase yet. And if your current Mac or iPad still does everything you need, ride it out; the best price is the one you do not pay.

How we chose

Based on June 25–26, 2026 reporting from Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and the Globe & Mail on Apple’s price increases and the underlying memory shortage, cross-checked against stated DRAM cost forecasts and Microsoft’s parallel console pricing move. Percentages reflect those reports; we do not quote specific prices because they vary by configuration and region and change over time.

Frequently asked

Did Apple really raise Mac and iPad prices?

Yes. In June 2026 Apple raised current-generation Mac prices by roughly 18% and iPad prices by up to about 25%, citing a severe memory and storage shortage tied to AI data-center demand. It is a change to the baseline list price, not a temporary promotion.

Will Apple prices come back down?

It is unlikely in the near term. The memory components that drove the increase are forecast to get more expensive again this quarter, and multiple manufacturers are raising prices for the same reason, so the more probable path is further increases rather than a return to the old prices.

Should I buy a MacBook or iPad now or wait?

If you need one within roughly the next year, buying now is the smart move because prices are more likely to rise than fall. If you do not need one, a price hike is not a reason to buy. Check the price history before you commit so you buy at a real low.

Are iPhone prices going up too?

Apple has not raised iPhone prices in this round, but an analyst has projected increases within the coming year, and phones are memory-dense devices exposed to the same shortage. If you are already due to upgrade, leaning toward sooner is reasonable.

Why are memory and chip prices rising in 2026?

The rapid build-out of AI data centers has created enormous demand for memory and storage, outstripping supply. DRAM prices rose as much as 98% in early 2026 with further increases forecast, which pushes up the cost of finished laptops, tablets, phones, and consoles.

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