RAMageddon just got too real

As far as pricing goes, Apple is kind of the reverse canary in the coal mine.

With her Famously generous margins With massive purchasing volume, it can withstand price fluctuations in its supply chain in a way that no other consumer technology company can. So when Apple raises prices across almost all of its product lines, you know this crap is real and really real.

This is what happened earlier today: Apple raised its prices Across Macs, iPads, HomePods, and even Vision Pro. Prices jumped hundreds of dollars in many cases. The flagship feature of the MacBook Neo — starting at $599 — is now $699. The iPhone seems safe for now, but I’ll be shocked if we don’t see higher initial prices for the iPhone 18 series when it debuts in a few months.

This is all very worrying because Apple doesn’t usually mess around with the pricing of its current models. It certainly isn’t involved in anything as common as sale. If you go to an Apple Store to buy a new MacBook, you can count on it being the same price no matter the day, week or month. Sure, you’ll find discounts from third-party sellers on certain products, or maybe a gift card with your purchase if Apple is feeling really generous. Otherwise, the price of an iPad is generally the same throughout the year, up until the day the new model is introduced. If the price is going to go up, it will go up in the new model; The current is constant.

But even for a company like Apple, the memory crisis is rewriting the rules of consumer technology pricing. First came the game consoles: the Playstation, Xbox, Keysand Steam platforms. They all received a price hike, and the blame was placed squarely on a lack of memory. He – she It came for laptops. Phones have suffered too. Pixel 10A It’s a barely warm version of the 9A, and its best feature is that it hasn’t gotten any more expensive than last year’s model. Samsung S26 phones They were victimsWith less storage space and higher prices than previous models. The crisis has affected every corner of the industry, and Apple’s price hike today underscores what a bad year it’s been for consumer tech.

The funny thing is that more than a few tech companies chose this year to launch unique and premium devices for the first time. It’s the unfortunate reality of the R&D cycle that has been going on for years. Apple is preparing to launch the most expensive iPhone ever if it debuts Foldable iPhone as rumored. Release the valve The long-awaited steam machine At twice the price of the PS5. Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Trifold For a small fortune. An ambitious gaming console from a company with a track record of improving its existing hardware? This may just be weathering the storm. But a big, expensive phone with a questionable value proposition? Good, We already know how it went.

If nothing else, RAMageddon will quickly sort out the winners and losers. And if there was any doubt, we now know that every consumer tech company is having to account for memory shortages — even Apple. The company may have stumbled its way to the other side Artificial intelligence disaster And entering into a crisis of a different kind.