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Apple Is Going to Raise Device Prices — but When?

Apple CEO Tim Cook warned in a WSJ interview that the company plans to raise device prices due to rising RAM and SSD costs. Mark Gurman expects the increases to be imminent, possibly tied to Apple's back-to-school sale. John Gruber speculates price hikes are more likely to arrive with new fall hardware like the iPhone 18 Pro, not mid-cycle.

Background

- Tim Cook gave a rare, preemptive interview to the Wall Street Journal warning that Apple will raise device prices because of a global shortage of RAM and SSD components, which have become much more expensive. - Mark Gurman (Bloomberg's Apple correspondent) tweeted that price hikes are "imminent" — not in the fall — and could coincide with Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion to soften the blow. - John Gruber (author of the Daring Fireball post above) argues Apple historically avoids raising prices mid-cycle, treating pricing as part of a product's brand identity. He believes increases will instead arrive with new hardware in September (iPhone 18 Pro and the rumored folding "Ultra"). - The debate hinges on whether the current component shortage is severe enough to force Apple to break its usual pricing strategy. The shortage is driven by surging demand for memory chips used in AI data centers, which has squeezed supply for consumer electronics.

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