Apple raises its prices in France: up to 300 euros more on MacBook and iPad

799 euros for a MacBook Neo. Yes, the entry-level Apple laptop. On June 25, 2026, Apple updated its prices on the Apple Store France without warning, and it's not pretty. The 13-inch MacBook Air goes from 1,199 to 1 399 euros The 14-inch MacBook Pro (1TB) climbs from 1,899 to 2,199 euros . On the iPad side, the iPad Air takes a hit of 150 euros and goes up to 819 euros. Even the basic iPad — the one recommended to everyone — jumps from 389 to 509 euros.

Basically, Apple has just made its entire range more expensive at once. And not by 10 or 20 euros as usual. Here, we are talking about increases between 100 and 300 euros depending on the models, and it can go up to 1,500 euros on the most RAM-loaded Mac Studio configurations.

The MacBook Air — the best-selling Mac, the one everyone buys — crosses the 1,300 euros mark for the first time in France. It's symbolic, and it hurts.

The short answer: it's the AI's fault. Not Apple's AI in particular, but of the entire AI industry who is sucking up the global production of memory chips like a black hole.

To run models like GPT, Gemini, or Claude, monstrous data centers are needed. And these data centers require absurd amounts of DRAM and HBM (High Bandwidth Memory). As a result, memory manufacturers — Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron — prioritize orders from AI giants who pay full price, leaving less stock for everything else. Laptops, tablets, smartphones... the queue is getting longer.

The numbers are staggering: the price of conventional DRAM has increased by 98% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. And analysts are still forecasting +58 to 63% for the next quarter. Storage has increased by +35% in the same period. Apple has absorbed these costs for months, but now, it's no longer sustainable.

Tim Cook said it quite clearly: Apple has "never seen a component increase so much, so quickly". And the shortage could last until 2027 according to market forecasts. In short, it's not ready to calm down.

If you think "well, I'll go to the competition", bad news. Microsoft did the same. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop also suffered, to the point that Microsoft had to bring back models with 8GB of RAM to keep prices below $1,000. In 2026, selling a laptop with 8GB of RAM, that's where we are.

On the desktop PC and components side, same story. The price of DDR5 kits has risen enough for some buyers to fall back on DDR4. According to market estimates, memory inflation could drive up PC prices by about 17% by the end of 2026. It affects everyone — manufacturers, gamers, professionals.

And the iPhone in all this? Spared for now. But MacRumors analysts already estimate that the iPhone 18 Pro could take +200 dollars due to the switch to 12GB of RAM imposed by Apple Intelligence. We'll see in September, but it doesn't look good.

There's something a bit absurd about this story. AI is supposed to make things more efficient, more accessible, cheaper in the long run. But in reality, the race for AI is causing the exact opposite: it drives up hardware costs for everyone.

The data centers of OpenAI, Google, Meta, and company are absorbing an increasing share of the global production of memory chips. Manufacturers prefer to sell to AI customers who order in colossal volumes and pay top dollar. As a result, "classic" DRAM for our laptops and smartphones is becoming scarce, and prices are skyrocketing.

Moreover, Apple is having so much trouble finding memory that they are negotiating with the Trump administration to obtain the right to buy chips from CXMT — a Chinese manufacturer on the American blacklist. When Apple gets to the point of begging the US government to buy Chinese RAM, the situation is really tense.

Already, if you see a MacBook Air M5 at the old price from a retailer (Amazon, Fnac, Boulanger), go for it. These stocks won't last. Frandroid spotted a few offers still at the old rate, but they're going fast.

Otherwise, a few leads:

• The Refurb Apple Store — Refurbished Macs by Apple are often 15 to 20% cheaper than new. With the increase, the difference becomes even more interesting.
• Education rates — If you are a student or teacher, Education prices have also increased (the MacBook Neo goes from 499 to 599 euros), but it remains below the general public.
• Wait for Black Friday 2026 — Historically, Apple offers timid promotions in November. But third-party resellers (Amazon, Cdiscount) could offer interesting discounts on the new prices.
• Look at the Android / Windows side — Not necessarily cheaper either, but Android tablets and Windows ultrabooks offer more choices in the 500-800 euro range.

Because of the global surge in DRAM and storage prices, driven by the high demand from AI data centers (OpenAI, Google, Meta...). Memory manufacturers are prioritizing AI orders, which drives up component costs for consumer products like Mac and iPad.

Not for now. Apple spared the iPhone from this wave of increases. But analysts predict a possible increase of 200 dollars on the iPhone 18 Pro in the fall of 2026, due to the switch to 12GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence.

The market forecasts are not optimistic: the shortage of DRAM could last until 2027. As long as AI demand continues to skyrocket, memory prices will remain high. A significant drop is not expected before mid-2027 at best.

Yes. Microsoft has increased the prices of its Surface and even had to relaunch 8GB RAM models to keep prices affordable. The entire PC market is affected: DDR5 RAM kits cost more, and analysts predict an average inflation of 17% on PC prices by the end of 2026.

Some resellers (Amazon, Fnac, Boulanger, Cdiscount) are still selling off old stock at the previous price, but it won't last. The Apple Store Refurb also offers refurbished models 15 to 20% cheaper than new. Otherwise, Education prices remain slightly below the public price.