The new MacBook Pro laptops are as much as $400 more expensive than their predecessors. Thank the RAM shortage.

Apple’s newly announced MacBook Pro laptops, featuring the advanced M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, come with significant price increases compared to their predecessors. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip now starts at $2,199, up $200 from last year’s $1,999 model, while the 16-inch version starts at $2,699, also $200 higher. Models equipped with the M5 Max chip see an even steeper jump, with starting prices of $3,599 and $3,899 for the 14-inch and 16-inch models respectively—each $400 more expensive than previous versions. The MacBook Air lineup also experienced price hikes, with the 13-inch model rising from $999 to $1,099 and the 15-inch model increasing by $100 to $1,299. The primary driver behind these price increases is a global shortage of RAM, fueled by heightened demand for computers and data centers to support AI