Apple reportedly aims to shake up the market with stable iPhone prices
Amidst the memory crisis, Apple reportedly aims to gain market share with the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and Pro Max by keeping prices stable.
(Image: heise medien / Sebastian Trepesch)
According to an analyst report, Apple aims to take market share from its competitors with the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and Pro Max because they are forced to pass on price increases for memory chips to their customers. Apple, on the other hand, is reportedly able to absorb the additional costs and wants to release the devices in the fall at the previous prices, claims a well-known analyst from the supply industry in the Far East.
The new MacBook Neo with iPhone chip has shown where the journey is heading, according to Taiwanese analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Although RAM and SSDs have become significantly more expensive due to the high hardware demand from AI data centers and scarcity, Apple has launched its new MacBook at a price of 699 Euros. How the MacBook Neo is revolutionizing the notebook market is already being intensely discussed. In the run-up, it was speculated that the new device could be significantly more expensive and that better-equipped models would increase in price.
MacBook Neo as an indication of Apple's strategy?
This was a major surprise for Apple's competitors, who have so far focused on lower prices. Especially for Asus, the MacBook Neo is a shock, as the manufacturer did not expect such aggressive pricing. Apple's competitors mostly have to either increase their prices or reduce the equipment of their devices due to the turbulence in the memory market. Industry experts are already warning that mid-range notebooks could become almost 40 percent more expensive. Not so Apple: The company can absorb the component prices. According to Kuo, however, Apple negotiates memory prices quarterly and is thus also exposed to the risk of price fluctuations.
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That Cupertino is not entirely immune to developments is indicated by a change in the Mac Studio. Apple's best-equipped desktop computer can no longer be ordered with 512 GByte RAM. This should affect very few customers, as this configuration was very expensive – but it is likely related to the shortage or high prices for DRAM and NAND.
(mki)
