Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices, fueling fears of broader IT device inflation

By Yang Geun-hyuk, The Herald Business

Apple's decision to raise Mac and iPad prices by up to $300 is adding momentum to a broader wave of price increases sweeping the IT device market.

Apple raised MacBook prices by $100 to $300 and iPad prices by $100 to $200 on Thursday (local time). On its Korean website, the MacBook Air now starts at 2.19 million won ($1,420) and the MacBook Pro at 3.29 million won, up 400,000 won and 600,000 won respectively. The entry-level MacBook Neo — launched in March at 990,000 won and widely praised as a value-for-money option — also rose 200,000 won to 1.19 million won.

The iPad Air and iPad Pro climbed to 1.25 million won and 1.99 million won respectively, each up 300,000 to 400,000 won. Other product lines, including Apple TV and Vision Pro, also saw price increases of several hundred thousand won.

Analysts say the increases reflect rising component costs rather than exchange-rate fluctuations or marketing strategy. Smartphones, PCs and gaming consoles had already been hit by price hikes driven by higher memory chip costs, and Apple's move signals that the trend is now spreading across the full range of core IT devices.

Samsung Electronics raised prices on its Galaxy S26 series, launched in February, by more than 100,000 won over the previous generation, reversing a price freeze in place since 2023. The Ultra 512GB model exceeded the 2 million won ($1,298) threshold for the first time.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, released last year, also saw their 512GB model prices rise 94,600 won each in April, while laptop and tablet models were adjusted by 100,000 to 900,000 won depending on the model.

Major PC manufacturers including LG Electronics, HP, Dell, Lenovo and Asus have either raised prices or are considering doing so, a trend that has been building since late last year.

Gaming consoles are no exception. Nintendo raised prices across its Switch OLED, standard and Lite models this year, and Sony Interactive Entertainment also increased PlayStation prices.