Apple increased MacBook Neo pricing across all configurations, with the base model jumping from $599 to $699 in the United States. The $100 hike affects both standard and education store versions, marking a significant change for a laptop released just three months ago in March.

The company attributes these increases to an ongoing memory chip shortage that has driven up component costs. Apple stated it has never seen price increases happen this rapidly, as tech giants like OpenAI and Nvidia compete for chips to power AI servers, creating supply constraints that ripple through consumer electronics.

Even with the price bump, the MacBook Neo remains Apple's most affordable option, positioned below the MacBook Air that now starts at $1,299. The laptop features an A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, offering decent performance for its tier. International markets also see increases, with Canadian pricing rising from $799 to $949 for the base model.

The timing complicates Apple's strategy in the education market, where the MacBook Neo previously offered aggressive pricing against Windows competitors. Dell and Acer recently launched $699 laptops specifically targeting this segment, but Apple's chip-driven cost pressures suggest these price increases may stick around until supply chains stabilize.