Key Takeaways:
- MacBook prices in Singapore have increased by S$150 to S$500, while other Apple products have risen by up to S$600.
- The price increases are largely driven by the global random-access memory (RAM) shortage, driven by AI demand.
- RAM prices are expected to continue rising throughout 2026.
- If you’re planning to buy a laptop, buy it sooner rather than later—otherwise, consider choosing an older model or a refurbished laptop.
Apple recently raised prices across most of its hardware lines, including desktop Macs, iPads, Vision Pro, Apple TV, HomePods, and MacBooks.
Among them, MacBooks experienced some of the largest price increases, with certain models costing up to a whopping S$500 more.
Naturally, if you’re thinking of buying a new laptop, you may be wondering whether it’s still worth buying a MacBook now that prices have gone up.
In this article, we’ll explain why MacBook prices have increased, what’s causing the global RAM shortage, comparable Windows laptops to consider, and whether buying a MacBook still makes sense. Scroll down for all the details!
Why Has Apple Raised MacBook Prices?
To be fair, Apple isn’t the only company raising prices.
If you’ve been shopping for a new laptop and noticed that prices are significantly higher than they were just a few months ago, you’re not hallucinating.
Manufacturers across the industry, such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Microsoft, Acer and Asus, have all increased their laptop prices.
The root cause of these increases is the global shortage of random-access memory (RAM) and storage, often referred to as “RAMageddon” or “chipflation” by parts of the tech industry.
Thanks to the AI boom, demand for AI data centres has gone up significantly. These AI data centres require enormous amounts of computing power to train and run their AI models, intensively driving up demand for high-performance memory chips such as RAM.
As memory manufacturers prioritise supplying the growing AI data centre market, fewer chips are available for consumer electronics such as PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and gaming consoles.
Inevitably, this supply squeeze has pushed RAM prices up significantly.
According to reports, RAM prices increased by nearly 90% in Q1 2026 compared to the previous quarter. And if this isn’t bad enough, analysts expect prices to climb by another 40% to 50% in Q3 2026 and by another 30% to 40% in Q4 2026, with prices potentially remaining elevated for some time. In fact, some forecasts suggest that the RAM shortage could even last into 2028!
Apple acknowledged these challenges when announcing the latest price increases:
“The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centres 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 today’s increases for iPad and Mac. We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.”
How Much Have Apple’s Product Prices Increased?
Prices of some of Apple’s popular products have gone up by S$38.75 to S$600. For MacBooks, the starting prices are now S$150 to S$500 higher than before.
Below is an overview of the affected products.
| Model | Old starting price | New starting price | Increase |
| MacBook Neo | S$849 | S$999 | S$150 |
| MacBook Air 13” | S$1,599 | S$1,899 | S$300 |
| MacBook Air 15” | S$1,899 | S$2,199 | S$300 |
| MacBook Pro 14” | S$2,199 | S$2,699 | S$500 |
| MacBook Pro 16” | S$3,649 | S$3,999 | S$350 |
| Mac Studio | S$2,899 | S$3,499 | S$600 |
| iMac | S$1,799 | S$2,099 | S$300 |
| iPad Pro | S$1,499 | S$1,799 | S$300 |
| iPad Air | S$899 | S$1,149 | S$250 |
| iPad mini | S$699 | S$849 | S$150 |
| Vision Pro | S$4,999 | S$5,299 | S$300 |
| HomePod | S$432.95 | S$499 | S$66.05 |
| HomePod mini | S$140.25 | S$179 | S$38.75 |
| AppleTV 4K | S$199 | S$299 | S$100 |
Curiously, iPhones and AirPods were initially spared from Apple’s price increases. However, the newly launched iPhone Pro models are now more expensive than their predecessors, with the iPhone 18 Pro starting at S$1,899 in Singapore, up from S$1,749 for the iPhone 17 Pro when it launched.
Is a MacBook Still Worth Buying After the Price Increase?
The short answer is: it depends.
Despite the higher prices, MacBooks remain among the best premium laptops money can buy.
However, Apple isn’t the only manufacturer affected by the ongoing RAM and memory shortage. Windows laptop manufacturers are facing similar cost pressures, so the price gap between premium Windows laptops and MacBooks isn’t actually as wide as it once was.
That said, the higher MacBook price hikes could make Windows laptops more compelling alternatives, especially if you’re looking for features that aren’t offered by MacBooks.
To help you make the right choice, we’ve rounded up several Windows laptops that offer specifications and pricing similar to those of different MacBook models. More on this below!
MacBook Neo: Best Laptop for Students or General Use
The MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook available, starting from just S$999.
Given the budget-friendly price point, it’s extremely attractive to students and anyone looking for a lightweight laptop with excellent battery life.
However, the MacBook Neo comes with only 8GB of RAM, which may be limiting if you regularly multitask, edit photos or videos, or want something more future-proof.
Hence, if you want something that can handle heavier workloads at a similar price point, you might want to consider the MacBook Air or the following Windows alternatives:
| Brand | Model | Price | Why we recommend it |
| Microsoft | Microsoft Surface 13 | From S$1,499 | Budget-friendly, good performance, good keyboard, excellent battery life, touchscreen |
| Acer | Acer Aspire 14 | From S$1,399 | Budget-friendly, good performance, great battery life, great port selection |
| Lenovo | Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition | From S$1,370.77 | Budget-friendly, good build quality, excellent battery life, OLED display |
MacBook Air: Best For Professionals and Casual Users
The MacBook Air is arguably Apple’s most popular computer and the model most people would choose. It has premium build quality, a portable design, superb battery life, and features a fanless design that stays silent during normal use.
The MacBook Air delivers excellent everyday performance, whether you’re crunching spreadsheets, doing light video/photo editing, or using it for work. It’s also a great choice for students, programmers, or content creators looking for a balance of performance, battery life and portability.
That said, it’s not without any flaws. Because it’s fanless, performance can definitely throttle during demanding tasks, and it may get warm. It also offers only two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, meaning many users will need adapters or docking stations.
Finally, the screen isn’t the best, unfortunately, especially compared to OLED panels found in premium Windows laptops. Then again, your mileage may vary—some won’t be bothered by this at all.
If these limitations matter to you, then it’s worth considering Windows alternatives such as:
| Brand | Model | Price | Why we recommend it |
| Dell | Dell XPS 14 | From S$3,528.99 | Great build quality, excellent performance, great display, touchscreen, OLED panel, great battery life |
| Asus | Asus Zenbook 14 | From S$3,349 | Lightweight, great keyboard, OLED panel, excellent battery life |
| Lenovo | Lenovo Yoga Slim Ultra 7i Aura Edition | From 2,512.54 | Super lightweight (less than 1kg), great keyboard and trackpad, touchscreen, OLED panel, long-lasting battery life, great performance, excellent build quality |
| Lenovo | ThinkPad X9 15 Gen 1 | From S$2,867.89 | Larger screen, OLED panel, great keyboard and trackpad, great ports selection (including HDMI and USB-A), long-lasting battery life, excellent build quality |
| HP | HP Omnibook Ultra 14 | From S$3,399 | Lightweight, great keyboard, OLED screen, touchscreen, great performance, long-lasting battery life, has more ports than MacBook |
MacBook Pro: Best For Creative Professionals, Developers, Software Engineers
The MacBook Pro is the crème de la crème of MacBooks, and is designed for professionals whose work demands maximum performance.
Compared to the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro offers brighter displays, additional ports, and support for significantly larger memory configurations. Because it has active cooling fans, the MacBook Pro can also sustain peak performance for longer periods.
It’s particularly suitable for more demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, software development, audio engineering, and AI workloads.
But starting from S$2,699, the MacBook Pro isn’t necessary for most users. If you’re using it for general web browsing, watching multimedia content, or light editing, the MacBook Air may be good enough for you.
For Windows alternatives, you can consider the following:
| Brand | Model | Price | Why we recommend it |
| Lenovo | Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition 16 Inch | From S$3,432.91 | Larger screen, lighter, excellent performance, great OLED panel, premium build quality, excellent keyboard and trackpad, greater port selection |
| Dell | Dell XPS 16 | From S$3,528.99 | Larger screen, great performance, premium build quality, excellent battery life, OLED panels |
| Razer | Razer Blade 14 | From S$2,999 | Great for creative tasks and gaming, OLED panel |
Reasons to buy a MacBook
#1. Excellent Battery Life
MacBooks are known for having some of the best battery life of any laptop, if not the best.
That’s because Apple designs its hardware and software for its MacBooks. These are optimised specifically for efficiency while offering good performance, allowing users to enjoy long-lasting battery life for everyday use.
On the other hand, Windows laptop ecosystem is the complete opposite; they come in various brands and designs, ranging from ultrabooks to gaming laptops.
Each manufacturer also has their own hardware choices and software configurations. This affects how the system optimises power.
That said, there are Windows laptops that rival (and even surpass) MacBooks in battery life, such as the HP OmniBook 3 16, Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, and Dell XPS 14. For a more detailed comparison, check out this article.
#2. Build Quality
MacBooks are also known for their excellent build quality, with an aluminium chassis, class-leading trackpad and keyboard, and good display, audio, and sound quality.
That said, high-end Windows laptops such as Microsoft Surface, Dell XPS, Yoga Pro series, ThinkPads, and HP Omnibooks offer comparable premium build quality with excellent displays and minimal keyboard flex or creaky hinges, often seen on more entry-level Windows laptops.
#3. Apple Ecosystem
If you’ve already owned other Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, buying a MacBook allows you to enjoy a better overall experience as some features work seamlessly together. These include:
- AirDrop for wireless file transfers
- Universal Clipboard for copying and pasting between devices
- iPhone mirroring
- Automatic syncing through iCloud
#4. Performance and Build Quality
Apple’s M-series processors deliver excellent performance while consuming significantly less power than many Windows laptops. As a result, even demanding tasks such as photo/video editing, software development, or engineering tasks are handled incredibly well on MacBooks—contrary to what many non-MacBook users may think.
That said, some Windows laptops actually offer even better raw performance, particularly gaming laptops or high-end ultrabooks!
#5. Longer Software Support and Better Resale Value
Like iPhones, MacBooks generally receive longer software support for many years after release, allowing you to keep them for longer. Case in point, Apple has historically provided years of macOS updates for Macs.
MacBooks also tend to hold their resale value better than Windows laptops. In fact, MacBooks often command higher prices in the second-hand market due to strong demand.
By comparison, Windows laptops tend to depreciate faster.
Reasons Why You May Want a Windows Laptop Instead
#1. More Choices Across Different Price Points
Despite how crazy prices are right now, Windows laptops are available at every budget, whether you want an entry-level laptop, a premium ultrabook, a touchscreen convertible, or a gaming powerhouse.
Additionally, you’re not limited to one manufacturer. You can choose from brands such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, Acer, Microsoft Surface, Razer, MSI, and more.
Each manufacturer offers something unique, and they differ in performance, display, build quality, battery life, weight, and more.
#2. Better Upgradability
One of the biggest drawbacks of MacBooks is that RAM and storage are soldered, meaning you can’t upgrade any components. So you’re essentially stuck with the same hardware specs for years.
In comparison, some Windows laptops offer upgradeable RAM and/or storage, giving buyers far more hardware flexibility than current MacBooks. This is undeniably a solid selling point for anyone who foresees themselves needing more memory or storage capacity down the road!
#3. Better for Gaming
Most PC games are developed primarily for Windows and offer better compatibility, performance, and optimisation altogether.
If gaming is your priority, then getting a Windows laptop is a no-brainer.
#4. Better Port Selection
If you use a laptop to connect to a monitor, wireless mouse, or other legacy devices, then you’d appreciate Windows laptops more.
Some Windows laptops still offer built-in ports such as:
- USB-A
- HDMI
- Headphone jack
- Ethernet port
- Multiple USB-C ports
- SD card reader
These ports offer greater convenience and reduce the need to get adapters/dongles or Bluetooth devices.
#5. Greater Hardware Variety
Windows laptops come in different form factors. For example, aside from the classic clamshell designs, there are also 2-in-1 convertibles, touchscreen laptops, or detachable tablets, such as the HP OmniBook X Flip, Microsoft Surface Pro, and Lenovo Yoga series.
The sheer variety and distinct hardware designs allow you to pick one that’s tailored to your needs and workflow.
Bottom Line: What Can You Do?
Get an Older Laptop Model
If you’re using a laptop mainly for basic use (e.g. general office tasks, browsing the web, watching multimedia content, or light editing), you don’t necessarily need the latest—and likely pricier—offerings.
Unless you require the additional raw power for tasks like heavy video editing, programming, or gaming, buying an older model can offer better value right now, since last-generation MacBooks or Windows laptops remain highly capable for most everyday or professional tasks.
Buy Now (Before Prices Increase Further)
Given that memory prices are forecast to continue rising in the foreseeable future, waiting for prices to fall may not be viable. If you need a laptop now, it may be reasonable to buy now and lock in prices.
Get a Pre-Owned or Refurbished Laptop
Buying a certified refurbished or well-maintained second-hand laptop can offer excellent value.
Certified refurbished laptops have been tested and repaired before being sold, while the secondhand market offers plenty of well-maintained laptops at substantial discounts. These can be a cost-effective option, especially if you’re shopping on a tighter budget.
Wait for Seasonal Promotions
If your purchase isn’t urgent, consider waiting for major sales events, such as Black Friday.
Manufacturers like HP, Asus, and Lenovo, as well as retailers such as Harvey Norman, Gain City, and Best Denki, regularly run promotional campaigns, while e-commerce platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and Amazon also offer stackable vouchers and bank discounts during monthly festivals such as 10.10, 11.11, or 12.12.
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