Apple quietly increases iPad Pro pricing due to flash storage shortage

[Shawn Knight]

Price hikes aren’t exactly popular with the masses but sometimes, the market necessitates them. That appears to be the case with some of Apple’s iPad Pros.

Apple on Tuesday during its first-ever press event at its new campus unveiled refreshed versions of several product lines including the iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV set-top box. The event also served as a distraction of sorts, allowing Apple to quietly raise the price of its 256GB and 512GB iPad Pro models by $50.

A 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi only iPad Pro with 256GB of memory, for example, would previously set you back $749 while the 512GB version commanded $949. They’re now $799 and $999, respectively. The price hike is also reflected across 12.9-inch models. Pricing on 64GB models remains unchanged.

Apple hasn’t publicly commented on the price hike but there are some plausible theories floating around as to its reasoning. The most prevalent and likely explanation is that limited supply and heavy demand for NAND flash has elevated prices. Rather than take the hit directly, Apple is pushing it to the consumer.

Uncertainty with Toshiba’s chip manufacturing business may have also indirectly impacted Apple’s decision.

If you’re in the market for a new iPad Pro, now may be the time to pull the trigger if you can find a retailer that hasn’t yet updated their listings to reflect the new prices (it looks as though Best Buy and B&H have already done so).

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/70968-apple-quietly-increases-ipad-pro-pricing-due-flash.html

 

[Vrmithrax]

And, ironically enough, if new iPad versions had been teased for launch at the big event yesterday, these very same products would have seen a price discount today instead. Gotta love watching marketing decisions when an accountant is at the helm of a company!

 

[VitalyT]

Tomorrow they will announce a huge price drop by $50, and make a big deal out of it!

 

[yRaz]

You really love the word respectively, don't you Shawn? BTW, you're confusing the 64GB version with the 256GB and the 512GB version with the 256GB

Anyway, I don't see why a $50 price increase on both of them is necessary. It should be $25 on the 256GB version and $50 on the 512GB.

It's Samsungs fault for the iPhone X's price tag, It's the markets fault for them raising the price of their iPads. I always knew Apple products were overpriced, but they're just playing games now. A good company would take the small hit until the market recovered. Instead, Apple is likely to keep the price hikes even after the cost comes down.

Tomorrow they will announce a huge price drop by $50, and make a big deal out of it!

nonsense, once Apple sees people are willing to pay it they will never reduce the price

 

[Squid Surprise]

A good company would take the small hit until the market recovered. Instead, Apple is likely to keep the price hikes even after the cost comes down.

I would change that to "a stupid company would take a small hit..."
A SMART company does exactly what Apple did... Raise the price because people will BUY IT ANYWAYS, and profit from the sales

You're in no way required to pay these prices - if you want a cheap tablet, there are plenty on the market.

If you want a good one, try a Surface Pro - if you think an iPad is expensive, wait til you see a loaded up i7 Surface....