The 13-inch MacBook Air now costs $1,299, up from $1,099, and IDC forecasts the average PC selling price will rise 17% in 2026 while shipments fall 11.3%. Apple, Microsoft, HP and Lenovo have all raised laptop prices this year, and the cause is the same one pushing up phone prices: AI data centers are absorbing memory chips. This guide collects the verified price changes, shows what the memory market says about the next few months, and works out whether it pays to buy now or wait.
Apple’s June 25 Price Increase
MacRumors reported the Mac and iPad changes the day they took effect, June 25, 2026. It quotes Tim Cook as saying “price increases are unavoidable” and calling the memory situation “a hundred-year flood.” The percentage column is our arithmetic.
| Product | Old price | New price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo | $599 | $699 | $100 (16.7%) |
| MacBook Air | $1,099 | $1,299 | $200 (18.2%) |
| MacBook Pro | $1,699 | $1,999 | $300 (17.7%) |
| iMac | $1,299 | $1,499 | $200 (15.4%) |
| iPad | $349 | $449 | $100 (28.7%) |
| iPad Air | $599 | $749 | $150 (25.0%) |
| iPad Pro | $999 | $1,199 | $200 (20.0%) |
A Reuters story carried by Investing.com says the 16-inch MacBook Pro went from $2,499 to $2,999, and that an Apple spokesperson said the company had “never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.” We did not open Apple’s own price page for the Mac line, so treat the starting prices as reported rather than checked on apple.com.
Microsoft Surface: Up to $500 More
Microsoft raised Surface prices on April 14, 2026, attributing it to “recent increases in memory and component costs,” per MacRumors.
| Surface model | Old price | New price | Increase (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-inch Surface Pro | $799 | $1,049 | 31.3% |
| 13-inch Surface Pro (512GB) | $1,199 | $1,499 | 25.0% |
| 13-inch Surface Laptop | $899 | $1,149 | 27.8% |
| 13.8-inch Surface Laptop | $999 | $1,499 | 50.1% |
| 15-inch Surface Laptop | $1,299 | $1,599 | 23.1% |
MacRumors adds that the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage is now $400 more than the 512GB M5 MacBook Air. The old assumption that Windows laptops are the cheaper option no longer holds in that comparison.
Dell, HP and Lenovo
MCPC’s device price tracker lists these scheduled changes for the months around now. They are mostly business channels, but they show where consumer prices are heading.
| Vendor | Product group | Increase listed | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Surface client devices | About 11% on average; more on 32GB and 64GB configurations | August 1 |
| HP | Client devices | 10% to 15% | September 15 |
| Lenovo | CTO and general products | About 6% (4% to 10% by configuration) | September 15 |
| Dell | Commercial PC list prices | Varies by configuration; some decreases | August 3 |
HP’s increase excludes peripherals, docks and displays, per MCPC. On a $1,000 laptop, our assumption of a typical price, HP’s range means $100 to $150 more and Lenovo’s about $60.
What the Memory Market Says
TrendForce projected in February that PC DRAM contract prices in the first quarter would rise over 100% from the previous quarter, calling it “a new record for a quarterly surge.” Its September 30 forecast for the fourth quarter is milder but still up:
- Conventional DRAM contract prices: up 10% to 15% quarter on quarter.
- NAND Flash contract prices: up 15% to 20%.
- Notebook inventories “increasingly reflecting higher component costs,” which TrendForce says weighs on sales.
- PC makers “reducing SSD capacities in mainstream models to lower BOM costs.”
That last point matters to buyers: some mainstream laptops are being sold with less storage at the same price tier, a quieter form of price rise.
IDC’s PC forecast says shipments will fall 11.3% in 2026, with a 20% year-over-year drop expected in the fourth quarter. It also says prices are unlikely to return to 2025 levels over the next two years and that the shortage is not expected to ease before the end of 2027. IDC’s Jean Philippe Bouchard notes some buyers purchased early because they expected higher prices.
Buy Now or Wait?
Nobody can forecast prices, and this is our reading of the sources above rather than advice. TrendForce expects further contract-price rises in the fourth quarter, and IDC expects no return to 2025 pricing for two years. If your laptop still works, waiting costs nothing. If it is failing, waiting for a price drop looks like a poor bet on current evidence.
Our arithmetic on what a laptop costs per year of use, before tax and accessories:
| Laptop | Price | 4 years | 5 years | 6 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Neo | $699 | $175 | $140 | $117 |
| 13-inch MacBook Air | $1,299 | $325 | $260 | $217 |
| 13-inch Surface Laptop | $1,149 | $287 | $230 | $192 |
| 14-inch MacBook Pro | $1,999 | $500 | $400 | $333 |
The 14-inch MacBook Pro’s $1,999 price is as reported by Reuters via Investing.com and MacRumors, not checked on Apple’s page. For a related look at tech that is getting dearer to run as well as to buy, see our phone upgrade guide, the console cost of ownership guide and the gaming PC electricity guide. The same data-center build-out also shows up on power bills, covered in our data centers and electric bills guide.
How to Spend Less
- Keep the one you have longer. Stretching a $1,299 laptop from four years to six cuts its yearly cost from $325 to $217 (our arithmetic).
- Buy the lowest tier that fits. Surface 12-inch Pro at $1,049 versus $1,499 for the 13-inch is a $450 gap before any storage upgrade.
- Compare equivalent configurations, not headline prices. With PC makers trimming SSD sizes, check the storage and RAM on any cheap listing.
- Upgrade yourself where possible. On laptops with socketed RAM or an M.2 slot you can add capacity later, but memory is the expensive component right now, so price it before you plan on it.
- Buy before the next scheduled change. HP and Lenovo increases took effect September 15; if a retailer still carries older stock, that stock is priced before the change.
- Use education or business pricing if you qualify. Apple’s MacBook Air page lists education discounts; we did not verify the amounts.
FAQ
How much did MacBook prices go up in 2026?
MacRumors reports Apple’s June 25 increase: MacBook Neo from $599 to $699, MacBook Air from $1,099 to $1,299, and MacBook Pro from $1,699 to $1,999. Apple’s spokesperson blamed AI data-center demand for memory and storage.
Why are laptop prices rising?
Memory chips. TrendForce said PC DRAM contract prices would more than double in the first quarter of 2026, and Microsoft and Apple both cited memory costs in their price changes.
Will laptop prices come down in 2027?
IDC says prices are unlikely to return to 2025 levels over the next two years and expects the shortage to last until at least the end of 2027. TrendForce’s fourth-quarter forecast still shows increases in DRAM and NAND contract prices.
Are Windows laptops cheaper than MacBooks now?
Not always. MacRumors reports a 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 (16GB, 256GB) costs $400 more than a 512GB M5 MacBook Air after Microsoft’s April increase. Prices vary by configuration and retailer, so compare the exact specs.
How much will HP and Lenovo raise prices?
MCPC lists HP client devices up 10% to 15% from September 15 and Lenovo CTO and general products up about 6% from the same date. Dell’s changes vary by configuration, with some decreases.