Apple's online store briefly went offline on Thursday, a move usually reserved for new product launches. This time, however, it was to announce steep price hikes. Just last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted that price hikes are unavoidable amid the growing AI boom. Days after the statement, Apple increased the prices of its latest products, including new-generation MacBooks, iPads, HomePods, and Apple TV by up to Rs 1,00,000 in India. However, iPhones have been spared .
Apple has significantly raised the prices of its home entertainment devices. The Apple TV 4K (64GB) is now priced at Rs 25,900, up from Rs 14,900, while the 128GB model has jumped to Rs 31,900 from Rs 16,900, an increase of almost 89%, the highest in Apple’s lineup. The HomePod now costs Rs 44,900, up from Rs 32,900, and the HomePod mini is priced at Rs 15,900, compared with its earlier price of Rs 10,900.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod price hikes in India
Apple TV 4K: Price hiked from Rs 14,900 to Rs 25,900
HomePod: Price hiked from Rs 32,900 to Rs 44,900
HomePod Mini: Price hiked from Rs 10,900 to Rs 15,900
iPad price hikes in India
iPad 11th Gen: Price hiked from Rs 39,900 to Rs 49,900
iPad Mini: Price hiked from Rs 49,900 to Rs 69,900
iPad Air: Price hiked from Rs 64,900 to Rs 89,900
iPad Pro: Price hiked Rs 99,900 to Rs 1,39,900
MacBook price hikes in India
MacBook Neo: The price has been hiked from Rs 69,900 to Rs 79,900
MacBook Air M5: The Price has been increased from Rs 1,20,900 to Rs 1,49,900
MacBook Pro M5: Price increased from Rs 1,69,900 to Rs 2,39,900
MacBook Pro M5 Max: Price increased from Rs 3,99,900 to Rs 4,99,900
Mac Mini M4: Price hiked from Rs 59,900 to Rs 94,900
Apple has increased the prices of select iPads and MacBooks by up to ₹1 lakh as the AI boom drives up the cost of memory chips used in electronic devices. The surge in demand from AI companies has tightened the supply of memory components for consumer gadgets, pushing prices higher and raising concerns about future shortages.
Why are prices rising?
AI companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are buying large quantities of memory chips for their data centres.
Reduced supply of RAM and NAND chips for consumer devices has pushed up costs.
Some memory manufacturers are prioritising AI-focused chips over consumer electronics.
The shift could lead to further shortages and additional price hikes for smartphones, laptops, and other gadgets.
“This is a hundred-year flood. I've never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.” Apple CEO Tim Cook made the remarks in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, published on June 17, 2026, as he warned that soaring memory-chip prices driven by the AI boom had made price increases “unavoidable.
Cook said companies like Apple had little choice but to pass on the higher costs, as memory suppliers were charging more amid tightening supply. Calling the situation “unsustainable,” he said manufacturers need to boost production of consumer chips and bring prices back to “reasonable levels.”
