Apple · U.S. · Microsoft · The Atlantic Technology
America Is Having MacBook Sticker Shock
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
A middling ticket to the World Cup final.
Key facts
- In October, Microsoft raised Xbox prices by up to $70; last week, the company announced another $100 hike
- In 2013, the CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor, the world’s biggest chipmaker, spent $10 billion to invest in manufacturing Apple processors
- The iPhone 18, set to be released this fall, could be up to $200 more expensive than its predecessor
- There are many things you can buy for $10,000: A nose job
Summary
There are many things you can buy for $10,000: A nose job. That’s how much the highest-end, fully loaded version of Apple’s laptop now costs—$3,000 more than it did last week. Maybe you don’t need the most powerful MacBook Pro. Apple’s cheapest laptop, the MacBook Neo, debuted for $600 a few months ago. So are other gadgets: Even the HomePod mini, a smart speaker that debuted six years ago, will set you back an extra $30. The products are more expensive because they now cost more to make. Data centers use a gargantuan amount of memory chips. In October, Microsoft raised Xbox prices by up to $70; last week, the company announced another $100 hike. If there’s one company that should have been able to weather this crisis, it’s Apple. In the world of consumer electronics, Apple is “an 800-pound gorilla,” Corey Cohen, a computer historian who authenticates vintage Apple products for museums, told me.