Abstract:
Apple has raised the starting price of the MacBook Neo on its U.S. online education store from $599 to $649. This means that the discount for college students and others who qualify for this laptop has been reduced to $50, down from $100. According to reports, this adjustment occurred within the past week, and corresponding prices in other countries and regions were also increased simultaneously in local currencies.
When MacBook Neo was first released in March of this year, it started at just $499 in education stores, rose to $599 in June, and is now $649. The price for ordinary consumers also experienced an increase: the model was $599 when it launched in March, rose to $699 in June, and remains there today. Apple has also raised prices on iPhones, other Mac models, iPads and many other products this year. The company attributed the price increase to a shortage of memory chips, saying the shortage has caused the cost of running memory (RAM) and storage chips to rise significantly.
Notably, in May, Apple expanded the UNiDAYS authentication system, already used in several European countries, to the United States and Canada. This means that students, faculty, staff, or other eligible groups can no longer "take advantage of loopholes" to enjoy the low prices in education stores.
The report also mentioned that Apple allegedly plans to launch the second-generation MacBook Neo in the first half of 2027, equipped with an A19 chip, 12GB of running memory, and new color options. The current generation of products on sale uses the A18 Pro chip and 8GB of running memory, and the color options include silver, blush pink, citrus and indigo.
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