Tim Cook, Apple’s outgoing CEO, confirmed that higher prices for the company’s products are inevitable. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook stated, “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable.” He noted that Apple is attempting to mitigate the significant cost increases being passed onto the company while trying to protect customers, but described the situation as “unsustainable.”
No specific figures or timelines for the price hikes were disclosed. As Apple approaches the announcement of its iPhone 18 lineup, expected later this year following WWDC 2026, analysts anticipate that the devices will likely be priced higher than their predecessors. New laptops and tablets from Apple are also expected to face similar price increases.
The tech industry is currently experiencing challenges in sourcing components, driven by rising demand due to AI development. Cook highlighted that there is a reduced supply of components at a time of high consumer demand, stating that memory suppliers are significantly inflating their prices. He remarked, “There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases.” He further emphasized the necessity for memory pricing and supply to stabilize. “We definitely need memory pricing and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That’s the bottom line,” Cook said.
Cook described the current market conditions for RAM and storage as unprecedented during his four-decade career, noting, “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.” Other technology companies, including Samsung, HP, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Valve, have acknowledged the impact of climbing RAM costs in recent months.
