- Apple has raised prices across several categories in Australia
- The MacBook Neo has lost some of its entry-level appeal
- The move follows rising RAM and storage costs
Australian shoppers looking for EOFY deals, or waiting for early Amazon Prime Day tech deals, now have another price change to take into account. Apple has raised local prices across several major product categories, including the new MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, iPad lineup, Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini and more.
The timing is awkward, but it didn’t come out of nowhere either. Apple has usually been better than most tech companies at absorbing supply chain pressure before it reaches customers, though the current RAM and component crunch has dragged on long enough to change that calculus.
The warning signs came last month when Tim Cook flagged “significantly higher memory costs” on an earnings call, then said RAM prices would “drive an upward impact” on Apple products starting this month.
Australian buyers will feel this
One of the clearest examples is the new MacBook Neo, Apple’s cheaper MacBook model and the machine most likely to appeal to students or anyone trying to get a new Apple laptop for less than MacBook Air money. In Australia it was launched with a price starting at AU$899. It now starts at AU$1,049, so it has lost some of its entry-level appeal.
Sure, it’s still Apple’s cheapest laptop, but the higher starting price makes it less competitive with Windows laptops that have struggled to compete with the Neo. The 512GB model with Touch ID has also dropped from AU$1,099 to AU$1,249.
The MacBook Air has lost some of its competitive edge, and the 13-inch model with the M5 chip (see our MacBook Air 13-inch M5 review) has risen from AU$1,799 to AU$2,099 to start.
The 15-inch model has increased by the same AU$300 amount, from AU$2,199 to AU$2,499. For a laptop that often sits in the middle of Apple’s consumer Mac lineup, that’s a significant hit to its value proposition.
The MacBook Pro increases are particularly noticeable in some configurations. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now starts at AU$3,199, up from AU$2,699, and the higher-end M5 Max models have also moved up several hundred dollars. Buyers looking at extra memory or storage were already dealing with expensive upgrades, so the higher base prices only make that decision more difficult.
The Mac mini is another notable hit. It’s gone from AU$999 to AU$1,299, which is a 30% increase on a machine that has often been one of the easier Apple desktops to justify on price.
The iPad lineup is up, which means something to students, families, and anyone looking for a new tablet for work, study, travel, or general use. The 11-inch iPad Air now starts at AU$1,249, up from AU$999, while the standard iPad, iPad mini and iPad Pro models have also gone up.
The increase is not limited to Macs and iPads. The HomePod mini has gone from AU$149 to AU$199, the HomePod has gone from AU$479 to AU$549, and the Apple TV 4K has jumped from AU$219 to AU$299. The Vision Pro was already a niche product at AU$5,999, and the new AU$6,299 starting price certainly doesn’t broaden its appeal.
Apple’s iPhone lineup, Apple Watch and AirPods seem to have avoided this round of hikes, at least. That helps limit the pain for some buyers, but it doesn’t change the problem for everyone who was waiting to buy a Mac, iPad, or other Apple device.
Aussie price changes
|
Unit |
Old price |
New price |
Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
|
iPad |
AU$599 |
AU$749 |
AU$150 (25%) |
|
iPad Air 11 |
AU$999 |
AU$1,249 |
AU$250 (25%) |
|
iPad Air 13 |
AU$1,349 |
AU$1,599 |
AU$250 (19%) |
|
iPad Pro 11 |
AU$1,699 |
AU$1,999 |
AU$300 (18%) |
|
iPad Pro 13 |
AU$2,199 |
AU$2,599 |
AU$400 (18%) |
|
iPad Mini |
AU$799 |
AU$949 |
AU$150 (19%) |
|
Unit |
Old price |
New price |
Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
|
MacBook Neo |
AU$899 |
AU$1,049 |
AU$150 (17%) |
|
MacBook Neo 512GB with Touch ID |
AU$1,099 |
AU$1,249 |
AU$150 (14%) |
|
MacBook Air 13 |
AU$1,799 |
AU$2,099 |
AU$300 (17%) |
|
MacBook Air 15 |
AU$2,199 |
AU$2,499 |
AU$300 (14%) |
|
MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 |
AU$2,699 |
AU$3,199 |
AU$500 (19%) |
|
MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 Pro |
AU$3,499 |
AU$3,999 |
AU$500 (14%) |
|
MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Pro |
AU$4,299 |
AU$4,799 |
AU$500 (12%) |
|
MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 Max |
AU$5,799 |
AU$6,399 |
AU$600 (10%) |
|
MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Max |
AU$6,299 |
AU$6,999 |
AU$700 (11%) |
|
Mac Mini |
AU$999 |
AU$1,299 |
AU$300 (30%) |
|
iMac |
AU$1,999 |
AU$2,399 |
AU$400 (20%) |
|
Mac Studio (M4 Max) |
AU$3,499 |
AU$4,299 |
AU$800 (23%) |
|
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) |
AU$6,999 |
AU$9,099 |
AU$2,100 (30%) |
|
Unit |
Old price |
New price |
Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HomePod mini |
AU$149 |
AU$199 |
AU$50 (34%) |
|
HomePod |
AU$479 |
AU$549 |
AU$70 (15%) |
|
Apple TV 4K |
AU$219 |
AU$299 |
AU$80 (37%) |
|
Vision Pro |
AU$5,999 |
AU$6,299 |
AU$300 (5%) |
Of course, Apple isn’t the only company dealing with higher memory and storage costs, but the scale of these changes is still quite remarkable. Price increases on one or two products are easy enough to explain. Price increases across most of Apple’s range are not something that can be easily avoided.
An Apple spokesman said: “The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary increase in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase so much, so quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases until now, but we have now reached a point where we have to start raising the prices of iPad and Mac today, including the prices of iPad and Mac. It is not a welcome news and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.”
The main question is whether Australian prices will fall again if the RAM shortage eases, or whether these higher starting points will normalize. We’re hopeful, but Apple hasn’t promised a turnaround.
For now, local retailers may be worth checking out, especially if older inventory or short-term deal pricing remains available during EOFY and early Prime Day sales periods.
To help, we’ve included some of the better remaining Apple deals below.
Best Old Price Apple Deals
Other Apple offers
These products have not increased in price, but they are still great deals. Do you want more? Check out our dedicated EOFY Apple sales page. Or for more laptops, take a look at our best EOFY laptop deals.
