Mar 05, 2026
3 min read
Tech giant Apple this week unveiled a lower-cost version of its popular iPhone 17 and also announced a price increase for its MacBook computers.
Apple introduces low-cost iPhone 17e, MacBook prices rise
MacBook price hikes come amid global memory shortage dubbed 'RAMageddon'
Apple expands its product range with an affordable iPhone.
The California-based tech giant on Monday introduced the iPhone 17e, a more affordable addition to the iPhone 17 family, priced at $599.The device is available in black, white and light pink.
The iPhone 17A starts with 256GB of storage, which doubles the base capacity of the previous generation for the same starting price.
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The device runs on Apple's new A19 chip and features the company's new C1X modem, which Apple says improves battery life.Apple says the new 48 MP Fusion camera also "captains two advanced cameras in one."
The announcement comes as the iPhone 17 performed strongly in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with sales up nearly 25%.CEO Tim Cook described the results as "amazing" in an interview with FOX Business.
Apple brought in $143.8 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter, up 16 percent from a year ago.Cook said it was a record sales region for North America and China, where it has lost market share to regional competitors in recent years.
At the same time, Apple is raising the prices of several MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models introduced Tuesday with the company's latest M5 chips.The price hike comes amid a global shortage of memory chips dubbed "Ramageddon" as demand for artificial intelligence soars.
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The 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $1,099, down from $999, and the 15-inch version starts at $1,299, up from $1,199.According to Bloomberg, Apple is doubling the base storage in both models to 512GB.
The prices of the MacBook Pro line have also increased.The 14-inch model with the M5 Pro chip is now priced from $1,999 to $2,199, while the 16-inch version rises from $2,499 to $2,699.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip starts at $3,599 and the 16-inch version starts at $3,899 — both up $400.Bloomberg reported that the standard M5 MacBook Pro also received a price hike, rising to $1,699.
Apple also unveiled the MacBook Neo on Wednesday, calling it its most expensive laptop ever.The 13-inch device starts at $599, or $499 for education customers.
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Apple's Mac division posted sales of $8.39 billion during its fiscal first quarter, down about 7% year-over-year, missing analysts' estimates of $9 billion.
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FOX Business's Susan Li contributed to this report.
