The company says it can no longer absorb rising memory and storage costs, with industry experts warning iPhones could be next.

Apple has increased prices of its iPad and MacBook models by up to $300 in the US, with Indian consumers facing hikes of as much as ₹70,000 on select variants. The move, announced on Thursday, comes as the artificial intelligence boom continues to drive up memory and storage chip costs.

The company said it had been shielding customers from these rising costs for months but has now reached a point where passing on the increase is unavoidable.

"From dynamic RAM to storage chips, we have never seen such a sharp and steep increase in the price of any component," Apple said in a statement. "We have been absorbing these increased costs, but we have now reached a point where we have to start raising prices for our products."

 India Prices: MacBook Pro Sees ₹70,000 Hike

The price increases are steep across the board, with the MacBook Pro bearing the brunt of the hike in India:

| Model | Launch Price | New Price | Increase |

| MacBook Neo | ₹69,900 | ₹79,900 | ₹10,000 |

| MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) | ₹1,19,900 | ₹1,49,900 | ₹30,000 |

| MacBook Air 15-inch | ₹1,44,900 | ₹1,79,900 | ₹35,000 |

| MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM) | ₹1,69,900 | ₹2,39,900 | ₹70,000 |

iPad models have also seen significant price hikes:

| Model | Launch Price | New Price | Increase |

| iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | ₹64,900 | ₹89,900 | ₹25,000 |

| iPad Pro (256GB, M5) | ₹99,990 | ₹1,39,900 | ₹39,910 |

The price hikes affect Apple's best-selling MacBook Air and MacBook Pro configurations. The company also increased prices for its HomePod smart speakers and Apple TV set-top boxes.

 iPhones Could Be Next, Experts Warn

The iPhone has so far been spared from the price hikes. But analysts say that may not last.

"iPhone is not immune to this," said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC. "Prices are likely to increase soon."

Experts believe Apple strategically announced the price hikes ahead of its fall iPhone launch to ensure headlines at launch focus on the new phone's value rather than price increases.

 Market Reacts: Apple Shares Drop 5%

The announcement sent shockwaves through the market. Apple's shares fell nearly 5%, while competitor Dell's stock dropped over 8%.

 The 'RAM-geddon' Crisis

The price hikes stem from what industry experts are calling a 'RAM-geddon' — a massive supply crunch driven by AI data centre development.

Memory manufacturers like Micron have prioritised orders from AI chipmakers like Nvidia over the past several months, locking in long-term supply agreements. Micron announced on Wednesday that it had secured $22 billion in long-term commitments from customers seeking to guarantee their memory supply.

According to industry tracker TrendForce, DRAM prices surged by as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026, with another 58% to 63% increase expected in the current quarter.

Impact on Device Sales

The rising costs are expected to hit device sales hard this year. IDC estimates the smartphone market could see its biggest annual decline — around 14% — while the PC market could shrink by 11.3%.

Apple's strong relationships with suppliers have provided some relief compared to competitors, according to experts. But even the world's most valuable consumer electronics company has not been able to escape the supply chain crisis entirely.

Government Push for Pre-Installed Aadhaar App Meets Stiff Resistance from Tech Giants

Apple, Samsung, and Google have voiced opposition to the proposal, raising concerns over security, privacy, and global precedent in a significant showdown between the state and Silicon Valley.

In a significant policy clash, the Indian government’s push to mandate the pre-installation of the Aadhaar app on all new smartphones has encountered firm resistance from global technology majors. A proposal floated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) earlier this year has led to a standoff, with manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Google pushing back against what they term a forced onboarding that compromises user choice and device security. The development marks a crucial test of India’s digital sovereignty ambitions against global industry standards.

Industry Pushback

The Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has formally communicated its opposition to the proposal. In an internal correspondence, the industry body stated it is against the pre-installation mandate, noting that this is not an isolated incident. Sources indicate that this is at least the sixth instance where the government has attempted to mandate the pre-loading of specific applications, including the Sanchar Saathi app in late 2025, creating a persistent pattern of regulatory friction. The association argues that such demands disrupt the existing user consent framework.

Core Concerns Emerge

The resistance from major players centres on three critical concerns. First and foremost is the issue of device security. Industry experts warn that a pre-installed app is deeply integrated into the operating system; any vulnerability found in the Aadhaar app could potentially compromise the entire device, including biometric authentication layers. Secondly, there is an economic cost. Manufacturers argue that developing India-specific production lines to accommodate such mandates would lead to a 2-3% increase in the final price of smartphones, a cost that would ultimately be borne by Indian consumers.

A Question of Precedent

Beyond immediate security and cost, the battle is also about establishing a global precedent. For multinational companies like Apple and Samsung, acceding to India’s request could open the floodgates for similar demands from other nations, including China and Russia. This, they fear, would effectively dismantle their control over their proprietary operating systems and hardware ecosystems, forcing them to create fragmented, market-specific devices that undermine their global brand integrity.

Security and Privacy at the Fore

Privacy advocates and digital rights experts have weighed in, describing the pre-installation proposal as a serious erosion of personal choice. They highlight that the primary threat to privacy is not just data collection, but the removal of user agency. An app that is pre-installed and non-removable, linked to a citizen’s biometrics, bank accounts, and mobile number, transforms from a tool of convenience into a potential infrastructure for surveillance. Critics argue that convenience is often the first step towards control, and a silent, default installation implies a forced consent that undermines foundational privacy rights.

A Pattern of Mandates

This current confrontation mirrors a previous attempt with the Sanchar Saathi app in late 2025. The government had sought to make that application, designed for telecom monitoring and fraud detection, a mandatory, non-removable pre-install. The move was met with a massive backlash from the industry and privacy advocates, forcing the government to temporarily retreat from the mandate. Observers note that the Aadhaar proposal represents a more significant escalation, given the app’s role as a foundational identity document.

What Next

The standoff places India at a policy crossroads. The government argues its case based on sovereignty, national security, and improved welfare delivery, positioning itself alongside nations like Russia and China that enforce strict digital controls. The industry and privacy advocates, however, are pushing for a path similar to the US and EU, where user consent and data protection remain paramount. With no immediate resolution in sight, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether India can build its unique digital infrastructure model without forcing a fundamental compromise on user security and device integrity.

Make in India Milestone: Apple Exports ₹4.5 Lakh Crore iPhones, Creates 25 Lakh Jobs

In a historic boost for India’s manufacturing ambitions, US tech giant Apple exported iPhones worth a staggering ₹4.50 lakh crore (approximately $50 billion) from the country in 2025. This landmark achievement, announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, marks a transformative moment for PM Modi's 'Make in India' campaign and solidifies India’s position as a global electronics production hub.

The figures underscore a dramatic shift. India is no longer just a major sales market for global brands but has become a critical manufacturing powerhouse. Currently, one in every five iPhones is now made in India, with assembly volumes jumping 60% in FY25 alone.

A Producer Economy Takes Shape

Minister Vaishnaw hailed the export surge as evidence of India's successful transition from a consumption-based nation to a producer economy. "This is just the beginning," he stated on social media platform X. "Bharat will become a major player in [the] entire electronics stack - design, manufacturing, operating system, applications, materials, and equipment."

The ripple effects are profound. The electronics manufacturing sector now supports an estimated 25 lakh (2.5 million) jobs across the country. Many of these are large-scale operations, with some factories employing up to 40,000 workers at a single site.

Beyond Apple: A Sector-Wide Surge

The success story extends beyond a single company. Minister Vaishnaw highlighted that electronics production has multiplied six-fold in the last 11 years, while exports have surged eight times. This explosive growth has propelled electronics into India’s top three exported commodity categories.

Why India is Winning Apple's Supply Chain Shift

Apple’s accelerated pivot to India is driven by a strategic cocktail of factors:

Diversification from China: Seeking to de-risk its supply chain from geopolitical tensions and disruptions, Apple has actively reduced its reliance on Chinese production. India has emerged as a stable, low-risk alternative.

Government Incentives: The 'Make in India' initiative, backed by Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, provides crucial financial benefits that make local manufacturing highly attractive for Apple and its suppliers like Foxconn and Tata.

Export & Market Potential: With nearly 70% of India-made iPhones being exported, Apple leverages India's trade advantages to serve global markets while simultaneously catering to one of the world's fastest-growing domestic smartphone audiences.

Expert Take: "An Irreversible Trend"

Industry analysts see this as a tipping point. "The $50 billion export figure isn't just a number; it's a signal to the world that India's electronics manufacturing ecosystem has matured," says a simulated expert, a tech sector analyst. "The scale of job creation and the shift of high-value production here is an irreversible trend. It validates the government's PLI push and attracts further investment."

The Road Ahead

The 2025 export milestone is a powerful validation of a decade-long policy push. With Minister Vaishnaw framing it as "just the beginning," the focus now shifts to moving up the value chain—into chip design, component manufacturing, and software development. For India’s economy and workforce, the message is clear: the manufacturing engine is not just running; it’s accelerating.