Apple Hikes MacBook, iPad, and HomePod Prices in India by Up to ₹1 Lakh — AI Memory Crisis Is the Culprit
Apple Hikes MacBook, iPad, and HomePod Prices in India by Up to ₹1 Lakh — AI Memory Crisis Is the Culprit
If you were planning to pick up a new MacBook or iPad this month, brace yourself: Apple has just delivered some painful news for Indian consumers. The Cupertino giant has revised prices across its Mac, MacBook, iPad, HomePod, and Apple TV lineup in India — with some models costing up to ₹1,00,000 more than they did just last week.
The price revisions went live on Apple India's website on June 25–26, 2026, and the updated tags are already active across the company's online and retail stores.
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Why Is Apple Raising Prices Now?
Apple has been unusually direct about the reason. In an official statement, the company said:
"The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products… We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions."
The root cause is a global shortage of DRAM and NAND flash storage chips. AI data centres — operated by the likes of Microsoft, Google, Meta, and OpenAI — have been consuming a disproportionate share of the world's memory supply, leaving significantly less headroom for consumer device manufacturers. Apple, which uses unified memory in its M-series chips (meaning RAM is directly integrated into the silicon), is particularly exposed to DRAM price swings.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously told the Wall Street Journal that price increases were "unavoidable" given the current component cost trajectory. The revisions arriving this week make that warning a reality.
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New Price List: What Has Changed in India
MacBooks
| Model | Old Price | New Price | Hike | |---|---|---|---| | MacBook Neo (base) | ₹69,900 | ₹79,900 | +₹10,000 | | MacBook Air M5 (13-inch) | ₹1,19,900 | ₹1,49,900 | +₹30,000 | | MacBook Air M5 (15-inch) | ₹1,44,900 | ₹1,79,900 | +₹35,000 | | MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch) | ₹1,69,900 | ₹2,39,900 | +₹70,000 | | MacBook Pro M5 Max | varies | varies | up to +₹1,00,000 |
iPads
| Model | Old Price | New Price | Hike | |---|---|---|---| | iPad (base) | ₹34,900 | ₹49,900 | +₹15,000 | | iPad mini | ₹49,900 | ₹69,900 | +₹20,000 | | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | ₹64,900 | ₹89,900 | +₹25,000 | | iPad Pro (M5) | ₹99,990 | ₹1,39,900 | +₹39,910 |
Macs and Home Devices
| Model | Old Price | New Price | Hike | |---|---|---|---| | Mac Mini M4 (256GB) | ₹59,900 | ₹94,900 | +₹35,000 | | Mac Mini M4 (24GB) | varies | varies | up to +43% | | HomePod / HomePod mini | hike expected | — | — | | Apple TV | hike expected | — | — |
Prices are based on verified industry reports at time of publication. Check Apple India's official website for the exact current price of each configuration.
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iPhones: Spared — For Now
The one piece of good news in all of this: Apple has not raised iPhone prices as part of this revision. The entire iPhone lineup — from the iPhone 15 series through to the iPhone 17 — continues to carry its previous price tag in India.
However, analysts are sounding a cautionary note. The same memory cost pressure that has hit MacBooks and iPads is expected to filter into the iPhone supply chain ahead of the iPhone 18 series launch, anticipated in September 2026. A potential hike on iPhones could be far more disruptive to Apple's India ambitions, given that the iPhone drives the bulk of Apple's India revenue and customer growth.
Adding to the affordability concern, Apple has already withdrawn its popular 12–24 month no-cost EMI schemes since early 2026 — a move analysts describe as an indirect price hike that disproportionately affects India's price-sensitive mass market. IDC India now projects iPhone shipments in India to remain flat at around 14–15 million units for the full year, revising down earlier forecasts of double-digit growth.
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The India Context: Already an Expensive Market
The timing is particularly awkward for Apple. The company has spent the last three years aggressively investing in India — opening flagship retail stores, deepening manufacturing partnerships with Foxconn and Tata Electronics, and cultivating the country's rapidly growing premium segment.
Indian consumers already pay a 25–30% premium over US buyers for equivalent Apple hardware, once import duties and GST are factored in. The latest hikes stretch that gap further, at a time when the aspirational middle class — Apple's prime growth demographic — is most price-sensitive.
Notably, Apple's own stock fell by around 5% in the immediate aftermath of the price hike announcement — a signal that investors, too, see demand risk in passing these costs on to consumers.
For buyers weighing their options: the iPad Pro, once a compelling laptop alternative at a lower price point, now costs nearly as much as a base MacBook Air in several configurations. That considerably narrows the iPad's value proposition, unless iPadOS 26's new multitasking features genuinely close the productivity gap.
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What This Means for Buyers
If you are a student or budget buyer: The MacBook Neo at ₹79,900 remains the most accessible entry point into Apple's laptop ecosystem, though a ₹10,000 hike is still significant. Consider whether refurbished or older-generation models from authorised resellers make more sense right now.
If you are a creative professional: The MacBook Pro M5 hike is steep — ₹70,000 on the 14-inch model alone. If you were on the fence, waiting for prices to stabilise is a valid strategy, though there is no clear timeline for relief.
If you were eyeing an iPad: The base iPad jumping from ₹34,900 to ₹49,900 — a 43% increase — is the most jarring revision in the lineup. At that price, an Android tablet from Samsung or a budget Windows laptop becomes a competitive alternative for many use cases.
Watch the festive season: Analysts expect Apple to lean on discounts for older iPhone 17 models during the October–November festive window. Similar promotions could soften the blow on MacBook and iPad prices at authorised resellers.
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Bottom Line
Apple's price revisions are not a surprise — the memory chip crunch has been building for months, and the company explicitly warned of hikes to come. But the scale and speed of the increases in India will leave many potential buyers recalibrating their upgrade timelines.
The bigger question is whether iPhones follow suit before the year is out. If the iPhone 18 series arrives with meaningfully higher price tags, and the no-cost EMI safety net remains absent, Apple's record-breaking India growth story could hit a serious speed bump in 2026.
Updated: June 26, 2026. Prices sourced from Apple India's official website and verified industry reports. Gadgets365 will update this article as more information becomes available.
