Apple raises prices for external storage devices

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Apple has significantly increased the prices of external storage devices in its stores. What initially appears to be an internal company decision is actually part of a larger trend in the tech industry. The increasing demand for storage and computing power, particularly due to artificial intelligence, is causing shortages and rising costs worldwide.

Apple's recent price adjustments demonstrate how quickly these changes are also being felt in the retail sector.

Recent discussions surrounding Apple have often focused on supply chains, production, and strategic decisions. However, the effects of the current market situation are now much more direct: in the price and availability of products in stores.

Demand for storage solutions is growing rapidly, while supply is not keeping pace. This trend affects not only Apple, but the entire industry. However, it is particularly noticeable at Apple because the company has adjusted its prices both online and in its own stores (via Bloomberg).

Significant price increases at Apple

Apple has significantly increased the prices of several external hard drives. The adjustments apply to both the online store and physical retail locations. The price increases are substantial:

A 4-terabyte SSD from SanDisk rose in price from about $500 to almost $1,200.
A 1-terabyte model from the same manufacturer increased in price from around $120 to over $350.

These figures show that these are not minor adjustments, but massive price increases within a short period of time.

Apple's limited influence on prices

Even though Apple sets the final retail prices, the root cause doesn't lie entirely with the company itself. Apple relies on suppliers from whom it sources the storage media.

When purchase prices rise, Apple has limited room for maneuver. The higher costs are ultimately passed on to the customers.

This makes it clear: Price developments are the result of external factors within the global supply chain.

AI is driving demand for storage

The main driver behind the rising prices is the massive expansion of AI infrastructure. Artificial intelligence systems require enormous amounts of:

RAM
SSD storage
High-performance chips

This demand is straining production capacities worldwide. Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on providing large quantities of storage for data centers running AI applications.

This results in less capacity being available for the traditional consumer market.

An industry-wide problem

The situation doesn't just affect Apple. The entire storage technology market is under pressure. A look at platforms like Amazon reveals similar trends:

Limited stock of RAM and SSDs
Rising prices even for mechanical hard drives
Difficulties finding certain products at all

This makes it clear that this is a structural problem that affects all providers and consumers.

Availability is becoming increasingly critical

In addition to rising prices, availability is also becoming more difficult. Even if higher prices are accepted, many products are hard to obtain.

The situation is also leading to limited availability of external hard drives at Apple. Customers are frequently encountering empty shelves or longer delivery times.

No quick relief in sight

A short-term solution is not foreseeable. The reason lies in the complex manufacturing process of memory chips:

The construction of new production facilities takes years
Investments are high and technically demanding.
Demand driven by AI continues to grow strongly.

It is therefore unlikely that the demand for storage will decrease in the near future. Consequently, prices will remain under pressure.

Apple at the center of an industry-wide storage crisis

Apple's price increases exemplify a trend that has gripped the entire tech industry. The combination of high demand driven by AI and limited production capacity is leading to rising prices and scarce availability.

Current changes demonstrate that storage has become a crucial resource. As long as the development of AI systems continues, the situation will remain tense.

In the long term, new production capacities could provide some relief. In the short term, however, high prices and limited availability are expected to continue to dominate the market. (Image: Shutterstock / Diego Thomazini)