Apple price hikes have hit Australia, and the MacBook Neo no longer looks quite so cheap

Date:
Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:29:03 +0000

Description:
Apple has raised Australian prices across Macs, iPads and home devices, with the MacBook Neo now starting at AU$1,049 and Mac mini up 30%.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Apple has raised prices across multiple categories in Australia The MacBook Neo has lost some of its entry-level appeal The move follows rising RAM and storage costs Australian shoppers looking for EOFY offers , or waiting for early Amazon Prime Day tech deals, now have another price shift to factor in. Apple has raised local prices across several major product categories, including the new MacBook
Neo, MacBook Air, iPad range, Apple TV 4K , HomePod mini and more.

The timing is awkward, but it also hasn't come from nowhere. Apple has
usually been better than most tech companies at absorbing supply chain pressure before it reaches shoppers, though the current RAM and component crunch has been dragging on for long enough to change that calculation. The warning signs came last month, when Tim Cook flagged "significantly higher memory costs" on an earnings call, then said RAM prices would "drive an increasing impact" on Apple products from this month. Australian buyers will feel this One of the clearest examples is the new MacBook Neo , Apple's lower-cost MacBook model and the machine most likely to appeal to students,
or anyone trying to get a new Apple laptop for less than MacBook Air money.
In Australia it launched with a price from AU$899. It now starts at AU$1,049, so it has lost some of its entry-level appeal.

Sure, its still Apple's cheapest laptop, but the higher starting price makes it less competitive against Windows laptops that have been fighting to
compete with the Neo. The 512GB model with Touch ID has also gone from AU$1,099 to AU$1,249. You may like Apple just announced big price hikes
across its major products and yes, RAM prices are to blame Apple price hikes live all the latest on new Mac, iPad and HomePod prices MacBook price rises could be far worse than iPhone 18 Pro, analysts predict

The MacBook Air has lost some of its competitive edge, and the 13-inch model with the M5 chip (check out our MacBook Air 13-inch M5 review ) has jumped from AU$1,799 to AU$2,099 to start.

The 15-inch model is up by the same AU$300 amount, from AU$2,199 to AU$2,499. For a laptop that often sits in the middle of Apple's consumer Mac range,
that is a significant hit to its value proposition. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The MacBook Pro increases are especially notable in some configurations. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now starts at AU$3,199, up from AU$2,699, and the higher-end M5 Max models have also moved up by several hundred dollars.
Buyers looking at extra memory or storage were already dealing with expensive upgrades, so the higher base prices only make that decision harder.

The Mac mini is another notable hit. It has gone from AU$999 to AU$1,299, which is a 30% increase on a machine that has often been one of the easier Apple desktops to justify on price.

The iPad range is up, which matters for students, families and anyone who was looking at a new tablet for work, study, travel or general use. The 11-inch iPad Air now starts at AU$1,249, up from AU$999, while the standard iPad,
iPad mini and iPad Pro models have also increased. What to read next Apple's Mac and iPad prices just went up these Prime Day deals beat them Apple's price hikes prove that more expensive iPhones are all but inevitable Time to upgrade? Apple price hikes tipped to be fairly imminent

The rises are not limited to Macs and iPads. HomePod mini has gone from
AU$149 to AU$199, HomePod is up from AU$479 to AU$549, and Apple TV 4K has jumped from AU$219 to AU$299. Vision Pro was already a niche product at AU$5,999, and the new AU$6,299 starting price certainly does not broaden its appeal.

Apple's iPhone lineup, Apple Watch and AirPods appear to have avoided this round of increases at least. That helps limit the pain for some buyers, but
it doesnt change the issue for anyone who was waiting to buy a Mac, iPad or other Apple device. Aussie price changes Swipe to scroll horizontally iPad price changes in Australia

Device

Old price

New price

Increase

iPad

AU$599

AU$749

AU$150 (25%)

iPad Air 11

AU$999

AU$1,249

AU$250 (25%)

iPad Air 13

AU$1,349

AU$1,599

AU$250 (19%)

iPad Pro 11

AU$1,699

AU$1,999

AU$300 (18%)

iPad Pro 13

AU$2,199

AU$2,599

AU$400 (18%)

iPad mini

AU$799

AU$949

AU$150 (19%) Swipe to scroll horizontally MacBook price changes in Australia

Device

Old price

New price

Increase

MacBook Neo

AU$899

AU$1,049

AU$150 (17%)

MacBook Neo 512GB with Touch ID

AU$1,099

AU$1,249

AU$150 (14%)

MacBook Air 13

AU$1,799

AU$2,099

AU$300 (17%)

MacBook Air 15

AU$2,199

AU$2,499

AU$300 (14%)

MacBook Pro 14-inch M5

AU$2,699

AU$3,199

AU$500 (19%)

MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 Pro

AU$3,499

AU$3,999

AU$500 (14%)

MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Pro

AU$4,299

AU$4,799

AU$500 (12%)

MacBook Pro 14-inch M5 Max

AU$5,799

AU$6,399

AU$600 (10%)

MacBook Pro 16-inch M5 Max

AU$6,299

AU$6,999

AU$700 (11%)

Mac mini

AU$999

AU$1,299

AU$300 (30%)

iMac

AU$1,999

AU$2,399

AU$400 (20%)

Mac Studio (M4 Max)

AU$3,499

AU$4,299

AU$800 (23%)

Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)

AU$6,999

AU$9,099

AU$2,100 (30%) Swipe to scroll horizontally Other price changes in Australia

Device

Old price

New price

Increase

HomePod mini

AU$149

AU$199

AU$50 (34%)

HomePod

AU$479

AU$549

AU$70 (15%)

Apple TV 4K

AU$219

AU$299

AU$80 (37%)

Vision Pro

AU$5,999

AU$6,299

AU$300 (5%) Of course, Apple is not the only company dealing with higher memory and storage costs, but the scale of these changes is still pretty notable. Price rises across one or two products are easy enough to explain. Price rises across most of Apples range are not something thats easily avoided.

An Apple spokesperson said: The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created
an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including todays increases for iPad and Mac. We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.

The main question is whether the Australian prices come back down if the RAM shortage eases, or whether these higher starting points become normal. We are hopeful, but Apple hasnt promised a reversal.

For now, local retailers may be worth checking more closely, especially if older stock or short-term deal pricing remains available during EOFY and
early Prime Day sales periods.

To help out, we have included some of the better remaining Apple deals below. Best old price Apple deals Save 17% (AU$179.38) MacBook Neo 13-inch | A18 Pro / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD: was AU$1,049 now AU$869.62 at Amazon All these MacBook Neos on Amazon are currently listed as temporarily out of stock, but you can still order then from Amazon at this price to lock it in, and then Amazon
will ship it out once available. With stock disappearing quickly, this might be one of your best ways to score the old price, as long as you don't mind waiting for delivery.

You can also get the 512GB model for AU$1,079 , also temporarily out of
stock, but still able to be ordered. View Deal Save 24% (AU$502) Apple
MacBook Air 13-inch | M5 / 16GB / 512GB SSD: was AU$2,099 now AU$1,597 at Amazon The MacBook Air M5 launched recently, so most of this saving comes
from Apple's price hikes, but that means it's still a useful discount on Apple's newest lightweight laptop. In comparison, it's currently AU$2,099
from Apple . Want to know more? Check out our MacBook Air M5 review.

Also consider the 1TB SSD model for AU$1,897 now AU$2,549 from Apple. Or the 24GB RAM, 1TB Air, for AU$2,197 now AU$2,849 from Apple. View Deal Save 20% (AU$502) Apple MacBook Air 15-inch | M5 / 16GB / 512GB SSD: was AU$2,499 now AU$1,997 at Amazon The 15-inch MacBook Air is currently AU$2,499 from Apple , so this is now a solid discount. Keep in mind that it is temporarily out of stock, so you can order now but delivery will be delayed.

Also consider the 1TB SSD model for AU$2,297 now AU$2,949 from Apple. Or the 24GB RAM, 1TB Air, for AU$2,697 now AU$3,249 from Apple. View Deal Save 22% (AU$702) Apple MacBook Pro | M5 / 16GB / 1TB SSD: was AU$3,199 now AU$2,497
at Amazon This 16GB MacBook Pro currently has a great discount from Amazon compared to buying it for AU$3,199 from Apple . There's very limited stock though so it will likely sell out fast. View Deal Save 28% (AU$350) Apple
iPad Air (128GB; Wi-Fi): was AU$1,249 now AU$899 at Amazon This is a tempting discount on the 11-inch iPad Air (base price was AU$999 yesterday) if you
want a fast, lightweight tablet for streaming, study or work without stepping up to an iPad Pro. The M3 chip gives it plenty of headroom for multitasking and creative apps, and our iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review noted its excellent screen and impressive battery life. View Deal Other Apple deals These
products haven't gone up in price, but they're still great deals. Want more? Check out our dedicated EOFY Apple sales page . Or for more laptops, take a look at our best EOFY laptop deals . Save 16% (AU$26) Apple AirTag 4-pack
(2nd generation): was AU$165 now AU$139 at Amazon This four-pack is a decent buy if you want to cover keys, bags, wallets and luggage in one go,
especially in an iPhone household. Our AirTag 2 hands-on found the new model easier to find from farther away and clearly louder than the original. View Deal Save 32% (AU$70) Apple AirPods 4 : was AU$219 now AU$149 at Amazon The AirPods 4 are a tempting buy if you want Apples latest open-fit earbuds without stepping up to the ANC model. Our AirPods 4 review found they sounded good and offered a secure, comfortable fit despite the lack of in-ear tips. View Deal Save 27% (AU$180) Apple Watch Series 11 GPS 42mm smartwatch: was AU$679 now AU$499 at Amazon This is a tempting price for iPhone users who
want a full-featured Apple Watch without jumping to the Ultra. The always-on display, ECG app, sleep score and fitness tracking make it a useful everyday smartwatch, while the 42mm case is the more manageable size. Our Apple Watch Series 11 review praised the improved battery life, though Series 10 owners have less reason to upgrade. View Deal Save 11% (AU$105) Apple iPhone 16e 128GB: was AU$999 now AU$894 at Amazon While this discount is small, the iPhone 16e is a decent buy if youre after a lower-cost iPhone with Apple Intelligence support, especially if youre upgrading from an older SE model. The A18 chip, 6.1-inch OLED display and USB-C port make it feel much more modern. Our iPhone 16e review praised its screen and performance , but the single rear camera and lack of MagSafe may matter to some people. View Deal



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/apple-price-hikes-have-hit-austra lia


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