Apple has raised prices across 15 product lines simultaneously — MacBooks, iPads, Macs, HomePods, Apple TV, and Vision Pro. The move, confirmed by CEO Tim Cook last week in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, marks the first time Apple has broadly passed component cost increases on to customers instead of absorbing them internally.
As reported by MacRumors, Apple briefly took its online store offline on 25 June 2026 before relisting products at the new prices. The average increase across affected lines is AED 1200. The iPhone, AirPods, Studio Display, and accessories including the Apple Pencil are unaffected.
Key Takeaways
- Apple raised prices across 15 product lines on 25 June 2026.
- The average price increase across all affected products is AED 1200.
- CEO Tim Cook described the cause as a global memory and storage chip shortage he called a “hundred-year flood,” telling The Wall Street Journal the situation had become “unsustainable.”
- The iPhone, AirPods, Studio Display, and accessories including the Apple Pencil are not affected by the price increases.
- The 256GB Mac mini has been relisted at AED 3299, a AED 800 increase over its previous price before it was removed from the lineup.
Why Apple raised prices and what changed
Apple’s price hike is driven by a severe global shortage of memory and storage chips. Tim Cook described the situation as a “hundred-year flood” — his words, not a metaphor anyone at Apple PR would have chosen lightly. “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” Cook told The Wall Street Journal. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.”
Cook added: “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.” Apple has historically absorbed component cost swings instead of passing them on, so the decision to move across 15 product lines at once signals that the pressure has genuinely become difficult to contain. Whether you believe the framing or not, the increases are real and they are live now.
Complete price breakdown by product
The Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) takes the largest hit in dollar terms — up AED 6000 to AED 22999. Here is the complete picture:
| Product | Old price (USD) | New price (USD) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV 4K | AED 520 | AED 829 | +309 |
| iPad | AED 1399 | AED 1999 | +600 |
| iPad mini | AED 2099 | AED 2499 | +400 |
| iPad Air 11″ M4 | AED 2499 | AED 2999 | +500 |
| iPad Pro 11″ M5 | AED 4199 | AED 4999 | +800 |
| MacBook Neo | AED 2599 | AED 2999 | +400 |
| MacBook Air | AED 4599 | AED 5499 | +900 |
| MacBook Pro | AED 6899 | AED 8499 | +1600 |
| iMac | AED 5499 | AED 6499 | +1000 |
| Mac mini (M4) | AED 2499 | AED 3299 | +800 |
| Mac Studio (M4 Max) | AED 8499 | AED 10499 | +2000 |
| Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) | AED 16999 | AED 22999 | +6000 |
| Vision Pro | AED 13999 | AED 14999 | +1000 |
Alongside the broader increases, Apple has relisted the 256GB Mac mini, which had quietly disappeared from the lineup earlier this year. It is now priced at AED 3299 — a AED 800 increase over its price when it was last available. The source does not specify which chip configuration this storage tier corresponds to, so that detail remains unconfirmed.
Is this a one-off or the start of something?
Apple framing this as an unavoidable response to a “hundred-year flood” implies a temporary situation — a crisis, not a reset. The thing is, component shortages have a habit of resolving slowly, and prices rarely fall as fast as they rise. Apple has not indicated whether prices will be revised downward once the chip market stabilises, and Cook’s comments suggest the company sees no near-term relief.
The broader chip pricing picture is not unique to Apple. Intel has also warned of CPU price rises driven by AI demand, pointing to an industry-wide shift in component economics. That context does not make the increases easier to absorb, but it does suggest the pressure is real.
For UAE buyers, the practical question is simple: if you need an Apple device now, check the local store for current AED pricing before assuming the old numbers still apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Apple increase its prices?
Apple CEO Tim Cook cited soaring costs of memory and storage chips, describing the shortage as a “hundred-year flood” in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He said Apple had tried to absorb the increases but the situation had become “unsustainable.”
Which Apple products got a price increase?
HomePod mini, HomePod, Apple TV, iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad Pro, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Vision Pro all received price increases. The iPhone, AirPods, Studio Display, and accessories such as the Apple Pencil were not affected.
How much did Apple raise MacBook prices?
The MacBook Neo went up $100 to $699, the MacBook Air went up $200 to $1,299, and the MacBook Pro went up $300 to $1,999, according to the MacRumors report.
Will Apple prices go up in the UAE?
Apple has not announced updated UAE or AED pricing at the time of writing. No confirmation has been given on when apple.com/ae or authorised UAE resellers will update their prices. UAE prices have historically tracked US prices closely, so increases are expected but remain unconfirmed.
