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Apple has long been criticised for the high prices of memory and SSD upgrades in Mac computers. The latest price increases, however, have led many users to speak of record-high prices for certain configurations. The manufacturer attributes the changes to rising memory costs and a global crisis in the components market. For customers this means an even higher cost when buying new computers. Those planning to purchase more advanced MacBook Pro configurations will feel it most acutely.
Apple has raised the cost of memory upgrades by up to 100 percent
The latest changes in the MacBook Pro configurator show that Apple has significantly increased the surcharges for additional RAM. Before the price rises, upgrading from 48 GB to 64 GB cost $200. The same configuration now requires an extra $400. Even larger differences are visible at the top tiers. Upgrading a machine to 128 GB of RAM previously cost $1,000, while Apple now prices it at as much as $2,000. That effectively means a near doubling of prices in a single price-list update. The company explains the decision by a sharp rise in the costs of memory and SSDs on the global market. The crisis in the availability of memory chips is indeed affecting the whole electronics industry, but many users note that Apple has long applied considerably higher margins than most computer makers. The latest increases have only made that difference more evident. The problem affects not only Macs but also certain iPad models and other Apple devices that were included in the new price list. The biggest concerns, however, are for the computers aimed at professionals, where memory upgrades are particularly important.
Customers have virtually no alternative
The situation is further complicated by the design of modern Apple computers. RAM and SSDs are integrated into the motherboard and cannot be upgraded after purchase. This means the user must choose the final configuration when placing the order. If, after a few years, the computer needs more memory, it will not be possible to upgrade it. That is why many customers opt for more expensive configurations from the outset. According to available analyses, even before the price increases Apple was charging substantially higher fees for additional memory and drives than the market value of comparable components. After the recent changes the gap has become even greater. The company argues it uses its own unified memory architecture and integrated components that cannot be directly compared with traditional RAM modules. Nevertheless, many users consider current prices to be exceptionally high. Rising memory costs worldwide could mean similar price increases at other computer manufacturers. For now, however, Apple is at the centre of the debate over ever more expensive premium hardware configurations.
Apple has significantly raised the price of RAM upgrades for Mac computers. In some cases the additional charges have increased by as much as 100 per cent, further driving up the cost of buying professional MacBook configurations and the company’s other computers.
source: Digital Trends
