Australians planning to buy a new MacBook or iPad before the end of the financial year (EOFY) may be able to save hundreds of dollars by avoiding Apple’s own store — at least for now – after Apple significantly increased its prices overnight.
Why prices suddenly jumped so high
The SKUs hardest hit by the almost-20% rise across Apple’s Mac and iPad ranges, with the tech giant saying it can no longer absorb soaring memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI boom.
Apple raised the prices on the new MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro back in March. However, these came with upgraded specs compared to last year’s models.
“We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions,” Apple said in a statement.
The price hike saw Apple’s stock plummet by 6.1%.
The increases come just days before the June 30 tax deadline, when many small businesses, sole traders and small business owners make technology purchases they intend to claim as a business expense.
Get the best of Startup Daily straight to your inbox
Want to know the latest in startup news? Subscribe to our daily news and analysis coverage on what’s happening to ANZ startups, investors and the broader ecosystem. And best of all, it’s FREE!
By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
But the good news is that some retailers are still selling stock purchased before Apple’s price rise, creating what could be a short-lived opportunity for EOFY shoppers.
I found that firsthand while pricing a new laptop this week.
Yesterday, the customised M5 MacBook Air configuration I was considering cost around $2099 through Apple direct. This morning, after the MacBook price rise, the exact same model had increased to $2549.
However, the identical configuration was still available through Officeworks for $1897, with two-hour delivery available for an extra $15. It arrived while I was still writing this article.
Where to compare MacBook and iPad prices before June 30
This doesn’t necessarily make Officeworks the cheapest retailer by default. In fact, there’s a lot of price matching going on online. But it’s a reminder of why comparing prices became even more important than just one day ago.
Here’s what the prices look like at the time of writing:
MacBook Air M5 (13-inch, 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM)
Before adding any extras:
- Apple: $2549
- Officeworks: $1897
- JB Hi-Fi: $1897
- Harvey Norman: $1897
- Amazon Australia: $1897
The same applies to iPads.
iPad Air (11-inch, 256GB, Wi-Fi only)
- Apple: $1449
- Officeworks: $1197
- JB Hi-Fi: $1199
- Harvey Norman: $1027
- Amazon Australia: $1157
Why didn’t the Apple‘s prices change everywhere
Unlike Apple, retailers such as Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman typically hold inventory purchased weeks or months earlier.
This means they aren’t always forced to immediately increase prices when a manufacturer changes its RRP. Some continue selling existing inventory at older prices until stock is exhausted. And this can certainly be to their advantage when the manufacturer makes massive price increases, as Apple did overnight.
This can create a brief window for shoppers where they can get the exact same product for a far more palatable price point.
Don’t forget refurbished and older models
If you still need to buy a new machine despite the MacBook price hike, and don’t need the latest hardware for work, EOFY can also be a good time to consider refurbished Apple devices.
Apple sells certified refurbished Macs and iPads with a full warranty, while several Australian refurbishers also offer professionally tested devices at lower prices than buying new.
Depending on your workload, a refurbished M2, M3, or M4 MacBook Air could actually be a substantially better value than paying the new post-price-rise cost of an M5 model.
Alternatively, some retailers still offer last year’s models brand new at a tidy discount.
