Apple Raises MacBook Pro Price by $300 and Microsoft Raises Xbox Prices as Memory Costs Increase

Apple increased the price of a MacBook Pro laptop from $1,699 on Monday to $1,999 on Thursday. The company also raised the price of its MacBook Neo model from $599 to $699. Fortune reported that the changes occurred without any hardware upgrades to the devices.

Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will raise Xbox console prices by $100 to $150 depending on the version. The company said it will stop selling the 2-terabyte memory configuration. Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus have also raised prices or reduced memory amounts in their products.

The Nasdaq fell 1.4 percent on the day Apple announced its price increases. Fortune reported that investors reacted to the broader implications of rising memory costs. HP finance chief Kevin Parkhill said during the company’s February earnings call that memory prices are roughly doubling versus the prior quarter.

Parkhill added that HP expects operating profit in the PC business to remain below the company’s long-term range for the rest of the year. A memory chip manufacturing facility takes two to three years to build and bring online, according to Fortune. Deutsche Bank analysts stated that most announced projects will not deliver supply until 2027 at the earliest.

Jefferies published a note with a consultant forecast showing memory prices rising 30 to 40 percent in the fourth quarter and another 40 to 45 percent in 2027. The shortage stems from demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI data centers, which reduces supply available for consumer devices.