Prices for new laptops, tablets and more have jumped thanks to a shortage of memory chips, which are also needed for AI data centers. Should you try to wait it out, or buy new devices before it gets worse? CNN Tech Editor Lisa Eadicicco has answers. 0:00 Why laptops and tablets are more expensive 8:25 Could manufacturers just use less memory? 15:06 What should consumers do? Watch 24/7 live news with CNN Headlines: https://bit.ly/4eIvlTr #News #tech
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED ; Chart: Emily Peck/Axios Memory chip prices are skyrocketing, thanks to AI demand, and there's no end in sight. Why it matters: "Chipflation" is pushing up the prices for electronic goods like smartphones and laptops, as well as the costs for cloud storage and hardware — it also helps explain the eye-popping ascents in semiconductor stock prices. - While the overall effect on inflation may not be huge — other kinds of products get more weight in the government's measure of consumer prices — the scale of this boom is unprecedented. By the numbers: The Producer Price Index for electronic components and accessories, which measures what companies pay for semiconductor chips and other…
As data centers gobble up memory chips, other industries that need the components, including electronics companies like Apple and medical device makers, are asking for government help.
Data: FactSet; Note: As of June 30, 2026 market close; Table: Matt Phillips/Axios The market's giant winners this year — memory-related stocks — also look ridiculously cheap. Why it matters: Their low price-to-earnings multiples reflect the market's worries that the current boom times won't last. Yes, but: Some analysts argue that this time is different because of the arrival of AI as a giant new source of demand for memory. They say the market should start valuing memory shares more like other tech companies. - If the memory bulls are right, it could keep the market climbing. Case in point: Take SK Hynix, the South Korean memory chipmaker and market darling that soared more than 500% over the last year. - It just raised $26.5…
Data: FactSet; Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios The momentum trade is having a terrible start to the second half. Why it matters: Momentum shares drove the market gains early in the year, and it will be harder for the rally to continue without their participation. How it works: Momentum is one of the "factors" some mathematically minded investors, known as quants , use to describe and organize the market according to certain well-understood market trends. - Momentum stocks are defined, more or less, as shares that have been going up — and outperforming the broader market — for roughly a year. - The academic research that quantitative investing is based on has found that such trends have a tendency to persist. - In other words, a momentum…
People spend a lot of time on their devices. The AI boom means they will also be spending more for them. Why it matters: The enormous sums of money going into the AI race are driving up costs for resources and components throughout the economy. - That's now becoming increasingly apparent to ordinary Americans who might have thought that AI's impact would be primarily on their jobs. Driving the news: Apple provided the clearest evidence yet Thursday, raising prices by as much as 25% on MacBook and iPad models — and blaming soaring memory chip costs due to AI demand. - The same memory squeeze is now hitting gaming consoles. Also on Thursday, Microsoft announced price increases of as much as $150 on Xbox consoles — which comes after…
Huge memory-chip profits from the global A.I. boom have increased interest in semiconductor factory work. But behind the hype are uncertain job prospects.
Apple has announced price increases on several products, citing rising memory chip costs and supply chain challenges, with industry experts predicting similar moves by other brands.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Apple has raised prices on several products, including the MacBook Pro with one terabyte of storage, which increased from $1,699 to $1,999 in the U.S., and the entry-level Neo laptop in the United Kingdom, which rose from £599 to £699 (~$790 to ~$920). The company attributed the increases to rising costs of key components, particularly memory chips. DETAIL: Industry analysts said the move highlights how the artificial intelligence (AI) boom is affecting consumer electronics, with even Apple unable to avoid rising component costs. Chipmaker TSMC has also warned that inflation and higher production expenses could lead to further increases across the sector. Analysts expect other PC and tablet manufacturers to…Open
