Apple today announced that it is raising prices on many products, including the MacBook Neo, which now starts at $699 in the United States.
The price increases are due to the ongoing memory chip shortage, which has led to skyrocketing prices for the RAM used in products like the MacBook Neo. This situation is the result of companies like OpenAI and Nvidia purchasing large amounts of memory chips for AI servers, which is allowing suppliers like Samsung and SK Hynix to charge more.
"We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," said Apple.
When it was released in March, the MacBook Neo started at $599 in the U.S. with 256GB of storage, so the colorful laptop has received a $100 price increase.
The higher-end configuration with 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button also received a $100 price increase and now starts at $799, up from $699.
The price increases extend to Apple's education store, with the MacBook Neo now starting at $599 for college students in the U.S., up from $499.
Here is a summary of the MacBook Neo pricing changes in the U.S. today:
- MacBook Neo (256GB): $599 → $699
- MacBook Neo (512GB/Touch ID): $699 → $799
- MacBook Neo (256GB/Education Store): $499 → $599
- MacBook Neo (512GB/Touch ID/Education Store): $599 → $699
The increases also apply to other countries around the world, with the exact price changes varying based on local currencies. In Canada, for example, the MacBook Neo now starts at $949 with 256GB of storage, up from $799 when it launched.
Powered by an iPhone-class A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo remains Apple's most affordable MacBook available right now. The colorful laptop is positioned below the MacBook Air, which now starts at $1,299 in the U.S., up from $1,099.