Tim Cook: Apple 'Reluctantly Raised Prices' Due to '100-Year Flood on Memory Pricing'

[MacRumors]

Apple didn't want to raise its prices but was forced to do so because of exponential increases in memory costs, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today during the company's Q3 2026 earnings call. Apple increased prices for Macs and iPads in June because memory prices have surged.

On the pricing front, you know, we reluctantly raised prices. I would say we did it because we're in what I would characterize as a 100-year flood on memory pricing with exponential increases in memory prices, so that was the rationale for it.

When asked whether Apple is aiming to protect gross profit dollars or product gross margins when considering pricing increases, Cook said it's multifactorial.

In terms of our philosophy on dollars or percentages, we look at units, revenue, and margin, and then come to a business judgment as to how to handle that, and so it's not a mathematical formula that gets us to a specific result, or just looking at one dimension of that. We look at all three dimensions and think about it over the long term instead of, you know, a 90-day clock.

Cook did not comment on whether Apple plans to raise iPhone prices when the iPhone 18 Pro models and first foldable launch this September, but multiple analysts believe prices will go up.

Cook said Apple is expecting to pay higher memory costs in the September quarter, though Apple will be able to partially offset it with lower costs on some non-memory components and a stockpile of inventory.

Article Link: Tim Cook: Apple 'Reluctantly Raised Prices' Due to '100-Year Flood on Memory Pricing'

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Before the flood

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Yeah thanks for that Noah.

 

[HiVolt]

Apple has abused its customers with RAM/SSD pricing for a really long time. To cry wolf now is pathetic.

When RAM/SSD was user upgradeable, it didn't matter much, you bought the lowest spec and upgraded. No longer a thing with Macs for a while now.

 

[formerpc]

"Forced to". 🙄

Meanwhile they just became a $5 Trillion company.

 

[GMShadow]

"Forced to". 🙄

Meanwhile they just became a $5 Trillion company.

You know that money isn't sitting in a bank somewhere, right? That number is literally just "number of shares times share price".

 

[Momento_Mori]

Tim 🍎

'Reluctantly Raised Prices'​

You didn’t have to raise them so much at once. But, I will acknowledge you partially redeemed yourself by creating the 🍎 Leasing Program.
🙏🏻✌🏻👍🏻👏🏻

 

[firstcitazen]

Glad we could help them hit 5T, they almost didn't make it without the price increases, which nearly made them all paupers

 

[goonie4life9]

Aw shucks and golly gee whiz, Apple just had no choice, as they were just barely scraping by in the best June quarter ever, with margins just over 50%.

 

[triumvirate]

Apple has abused its customers with RAM/SSD pricing for a really long time. To cry wolf now is pathetic.

When RAM/SSD was user upgradeable, it didn't matter much, you bought the lowest spec and upgraded. No longer a thing with Macs for a while now.

2012 iMac was my favorite Mac I've had so far. And guess what! It wasn't M-series and had upgradeable RAM! What a concept lol

 

[tongxinshe]

I am sure it is better to both Apple and its customers if Apple just absorb the memory price increase by reducing its profit margin!

 

[Plutonius]

The memory and storage cost have gone up so there is some truth in his statement.

I also believe that everyone is using the AI excuse to justify raising their prices.

I still wonder why the prices in the refurb store went up ?

 

[jon9091]

We had to reluctantly raise prices, otherwise our profit would have only been $27 billion instead of $29 billion. 🥴

 

[EM2013]

All I hear is price increases from every company but nothing being done to address the root problem. Just constant shoving of ai everywhere

 

[spartan1967]

At least the rise in prices was telegraphed. Hopefully people took advantage of that before the significant increases took place.

 

[chrash]

And once memory prices come back down, so will the cost of devices, right?

Right???

 

[Agent007]

More like a 100 year flood of corporate greed

 

[egodspeed]

I get that memory costs are up, but I hope prices come back down when things settle. Somehow those increases usually seem to stick. 🙂

 

[marshalleq]

Apple didn't want to raise its prices but was forced to do so because of exponential increases in memory costs, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today during the company's Q3 2026 earnings call. Apple increased prices for Macs and iPads in June because memory prices have surged.

When asked whether Apple is aiming to protect gross profit dollars or product gross margins when considering pricing increases, Cook said it's multifactorial.

Cook did not comment on whether Apple plans to raise iPhone prices when the iPhone 18 Pro models and first foldable launch this September, but multiple analysts believe prices will go up.

Cook said Apple is expecting to pay higher memory costs in the September quarter, though Apple will be able to partially offset it with lower costs on some non-memory components and a stockpile of inventory.

Article Link: Tim Cook: Apple 'Reluctantly Raised Prices' Due to '100-Year Flood on Memory Pricing'

If apple wasnt already overcharging for ram i might believe them.

 

[tridley68]

I wouldn't say forced to it was more like Cooks Greed.

 

[Dreamail]

I am sure it is better to both Apple and its customers if Apple just absorb the memory price increase by reducing its profit margin!

While this would definitely be better for Apple's customers, it is worse for Apple's shareholders.
And only the latter matrix counts. Who cares about customers...

 

[Dreamail]

You know that money isn't sitting in a bank somewhere, right? That number is literally just "number of shares times share price".

Sure, it is not actual money.
However, it proves that Apple's shareholders have full confidence in Apple being able to squeeze more and more profits out of its customers...

 

[ChamomileTea]

We'll see that when the RAM prices go down.

The MBP prices are ridiculous!

 

[JosephAW]

After the flood is over and there is a glut of cheap memory be sure to adjust your prices accordingly, right? 🙄

 

[OmegaRed1723]

You know that money isn't sitting in a bank somewhere, right? That number is literally just "number of shares times share price".

True, all they have in the bank is a measly $68.5bn.
/s