Big news Thursday. Apple raised prices on almost everything. Not just a little. They’re pointing fingers at “RAMageddon,” saying memory and storage costs are soaring because AI data centers are hoarding components. CEO Tim Cook calls it “unavoidable.”
The hit list? iPads. Macs. Apple TV. HomePod. VisionPro. The only survivors seem to be the iPhone and Apple Watch.
I’m angry about the MacBook Neo.
Remember that device? The one Apple promised was for students on a tight budget. We finally had a Mac that didn’t require a loan to buy. Lasted about three months. Now it’s gone. Or rather, it’s gotten more expensive.
The Neo launched with student pricing at $499. A deal. Then it ticked up to $599. Now? The starting price at Apple is $699. Students can still grab it for $599 through the education discount, and Amazon has it for $590 as of this morning. Still, that’s a hundred-dollar hike from the recent “deal.”
The step-up model, the one with Touch ID and more storage? Another hundred dollars higher. $799 regular, $699 for students. Amazon sticks it at $690.
Why?
Apple blames the chips. They say demand from AI is eating all the RAM and SSDs. Makes sense, technically. Except the baseline Neo only has 8GB of RAM. It has 256GB of SSD. Is 8GB the most expensive thing to make on the planet right now? Doubtful. And the step-up model just adds storage, no memory increase, yet costs $100 more? Steep.
I suspect the truth is uglier.
Apple used leftover chips from iPhone production to make the first batch of Neos. Cheap for them. Those chips are gone now. The initial run of 5-6 million units is sold. The next batch is 10 million. That means new production runs. Specifically, they likely have to make dedicated A18 Pro chips for the Neo instead of recycling inventory. That costs money. Real money.
RAMageddon is an easy excuse. It covers the manufacturing shift.
Apple never commented on the theory, obviously. But silence speaks volumes when component costs supposedly rise everywhere.
Look at the rest of the line. The MacBook Air went up $200. The MacBook Pro went up $300.
The 13-inch Air is now $1,299. The 15-inch is $1,499. These machines have 16GB RAM and 512 SSD. They need more hardware. Sure. The Pro is even worse. Starts at $1,999 for the 14-inch, $2,999 for the giant 16-inch. These beasts get 1TB drives.
Apple said in a statement that they’ve never seen prices rise this fast, this high. They say they have no choice. Maybe. Or maybe they’re adjusting the ledger for a product line that got cheaper to build than planned.
The Neo vs Air gap is getting wider, at least.
Before? The Air started at $1,099. Neo at $599 (student price). Difference? $500.
Now? Air is $1,299. Neo is $599 (or $699 if you miss the discount code). Difference is $600.
So you could argue the Neo is actually relatively cheaper compared to the premium model. A comforting thought if you’re buying it for college. Does paying $100 extra feel like a victory because the alternative is $200 worse? No. It feels like a hike. Tuition goes up. Food goes up. Laptops go up.
It’s not just laptops, either. Desktops bled too.
iMac is now $1,499 (up $200). The M4 Mac Mini returned to the lineup—16GB RAM, 256GB storage—but with a $200 premium over its old self. M4 Pro Mini also got a $200 hit.
The Mac Studio took a beating.
M4 Max models up $500, starting at $2,299? No, $2,499 now. The M3 Ultra studio? $1,300 higher. That thing sits at $5,299 now.
We are sitting on our hands. Looking at receipts that keep getting longer.
Was it worth the hype? For students, the dream of an affordable entry point into the walled garden feels slightly less like a promise and more like a temporary marketing stunt.
You’ll probably still buy it. There’s no real alternative.
