What smart people are saying about price hikes by Apple and Xbox

• Apple increased MacBook and iPad prices by 20% due to worldwide demand for AI-related chips.
• Xbox raised prices by up to $150, citing a memory chip shortage driven by AI infrastructure needs.
• Here is what leaders in business and tech are saying about the price hikes, from Dan Ives to Elon Musk.

Alex Cheema, cofounder of EXO Labs”If I was guessing, this is a temporary price increase for as long as this memory shortage lasts, but we also have no idea how long this is going to be, so I would just consider this the new price for everything — and you can thank AI for that,” the tech YouTuber said in a video posted on social media.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg chief correspondent

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s chief correspondent covering Apple, said that it might be some of Apple’s lesser-known products that are hit hardest by the price increases.

“I don’t think the Mac or iPad price increases are going to be shocking or incredibly deterring to customers,” wrote Gurman in a post on X.

“But the smart speaker and TV box markets are so commoditized that these HomePod and Apple TV price hikes could drive people to cheaper Google and Amazon alternatives,” he said.