Apple Raises Prices in 2026: Mac, iPad & More Up 20%+ — What It Means in Kenya

Apple has raised prices across much of its line-up in 2026 — and these are not small bumps. On 25 June 2026 Apple quietly took its online store offline and brought it back with higher prices on the Mac, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini and Vision Pro. Many of the most popular models jumped 20% or more in a single update. If you have been planning to buy a Mac or iPad, here is exactly what changed, why it happened, and what it means for buyers in Kenya.

What got more expensive

The increases hit Apple's computing and home lines hardest. Based on Apple's own United States recommended prices, the headline changes include:

MacBook Air — entry price up from $1,099 to $1,299
MacBook Pro — lowest-spec model up from $1,699 to $1,999
iPad Air — base price up from $599 to $749
iPad Pro — up from $999 to $1,199
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) — the steepest rise of all, from $3,999 to $5,299

The Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini and Vision Pro were also repriced upward. These are Apple's US figures — the global recommended prices Apple sets — and they are the clearest signal of where pricing is heading everywhere, including the prices Kenyan retailers ultimately import against.

Why Apple raised prices

This round of increases is not about new features — it is about the cost of the parts inside the devices. The rapid build-out of AI data centres around the world has created an enormous surge in demand for memory (RAM) and storage chips, the exact components Macs and iPads are packed with. Apple described the situation by saying it had "never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly."

It is an industry-wide squeeze, not an Apple-only one: Microsoft raised hardware prices in the same week for the same reason. When AI companies buy up the world's memory and storage to fill data centres, everyone who needs those chips — including the company that makes your laptop — pays more, and some of that lands on the shelf price.

What did not go up — at least for now

Not everything was repriced. As of this update, the following are unaffected:

iPhone
Apple Watch
AirPods
Studio Display
Accessories such as the Apple Pencil

The important word is "for now." Analysts widely expect Apple to raise iPhone prices later in 2026, most likely alongside the iPhone 18 launch in September. If you have been weighing an iPhone upgrade, the window before that launch may be the calmer pricing period.

What this means for buyers in Kenya

Apple does not sell directly in Kenya, so local prices are set by importers and retailers who buy against Apple's global recommended prices. When those global prices climb 20% or more, that pressure works its way into Kenyan shilling prices over the following weeks as fresh stock arrives at the new cost. In short: the Mac or iPad you were looking at is unlikely to get cheaper, and is more likely to get dearer.

For genuine, warranty-backed Apple stock in Kenya, the practical takeaways are:

If you genuinely need a Mac or iPad, buying sooner protects you from the next round of increases rather than waiting for prices to settle — because the trend is upward, not downward.
Current stock bought in before the hike is the best value on the shelf. Once it sells through and is replaced at the new import cost, the floor moves up. Always check the live price for the exact configuration on iTey Store's Mac range or iPad range for today's Kenyan shilling pricing.
iPhone is still in its calm window. If a phone is on your list, it has not been hit yet — see the iPhone range.

The smart buys right now

Higher memory prices reward shoppers who buy the right spec rather than the biggest spec. A few pointers:

Buy the storage and RAM you actually need. With memory the single biggest cost driver this year, over-speccing is where the new prices hurt most. Match the configuration to your real workload.
For developers and creators, Apple Silicon is still the value story. A Mac Mini or Mac Studio remains the most cost-effective way to run Claude Code, Cursor and local AI models on your own hardware — even after the increase, the unified-memory advantage is hard to beat for on-device AI.
Insist on genuine and warranty-backed. In a rising market, the temptation to chase grey-market deals grows — but a sealed, warranty-covered unit from a registered retailer protects you if anything goes wrong.

Frequently asked questions

Did Apple raise prices in 2026?

Yes. On 25 June 2026 Apple increased prices across the Mac, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini and Vision Pro lines, with many popular models up 20% or more.

Which Apple products got more expensive?

The MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iPad Pro, Mac Studio, Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini and Vision Pro. The Mac Studio (M3 Ultra) saw the largest jump.

Why did Apple increase prices?

Surging demand for memory and storage chips — driven by the global build-out of AI data centres — pushed component costs up sharply. Apple said it had never seen component prices rise this much this quickly, and Microsoft raised prices the same week for the same reason.

Did iPhone prices go up?

Not in this update. iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, the Studio Display and accessories like the Apple Pencil were unaffected — though analysts expect iPhone prices to rise later in 2026, likely with the iPhone 18 in September.

Will Apple prices in Kenya go up too?

Over time, yes. Kenyan prices track Apple's global recommended prices through importers, so higher global pricing flows into shilling prices as new stock lands. Buying current pre-hike stock is the best value while it lasts.

Where can I buy genuine Apple products in Kenya?

iTey Store stocks genuine, warranty-backed Macs, iPads and iPhones with delivery across Kenya and a Nairobi showroom. Check iteystore.co.ke for live Kenyan shilling prices on the exact model and configuration you want.

Bottom line: the 2026 Apple price increase is real, it is driven by a genuine global memory crunch, and it points one way — up. If a Mac or iPad is in your plans, today's pricing is very likely the friendliest you will see for a while.