9to5Mac⁠74%

Here are all the ways Apple is raising prices and why ⁠67%

By Zac Hall⁠61%

7/18/2026, 8:37:48 PM

BS Summary: This article contains 24 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Pessimism Bias, and Attempt to Sell a Product or Service, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 33.1% saturation with 161 hits. Analysis detected 869 faulty-reasoning hits from 487 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 53.8% and a BS Rank of ⁠67% (9,034 of 26,849 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 66.40% of the article peer group.

Apple’sĀ hardwareĀ priceĀ increasesĀ inĀ JuneĀ wereĀ costlyĀ andĀ unwelcome.Ā 
TheyĀ wereĀ alsoĀ justĀ theĀ startĀ ofĀ aĀ waveĀ ofĀ higherĀ pricesĀ onĀ AppleĀ productsĀ andĀ services.Ā 
OverĀ theĀ lastĀ fewĀ weeks,Ā AppleĀ hasĀ beenĀ raisingĀ pricesĀ inĀ allĀ areasĀ forĀ differentĀ reasons.Ā 
AppleĀ priceĀ increasesĀ areĀ gettingĀ harderĀ toĀ avoidĀ 
ItĀ startedĀ withĀ Apple’sĀ sweepingĀ hardwareĀ increasesĀ onĀ JuneĀ 25.Ā 
MacBookĀ NeoĀ jumpedĀ $100Ā toĀ $699,Ā theĀ 13-inchĀ MacBookĀ AirĀ roseĀ $200Ā toĀ $1,299,Ā andĀ theĀ baseĀ iPadĀ climbedĀ $100Ā toĀ $449.Ā 
MacBookĀ Pro,Ā iPadĀ Air,Ā iPadĀ Pro,Ā iPadĀ mini,Ā MacĀ mini,Ā iMac,Ā MacĀ Studio,Ā AppleĀ TVĀ 4K,Ā HomePod,Ā HomePodĀ mini,Ā andĀ AppleĀ VisionĀ ProĀ wereĀ amongĀ theĀ otherĀ productsĀ affected.Ā 
TheĀ companyĀ blamedĀ unprecedentedĀ increasesĀ inĀ memoryĀ andĀ storageĀ componentĀ costs.Ā 
AppleĀ CEOĀ TimĀ CookĀ blamedĀ AIĀ dataĀ centersĀ forĀ consumingĀ moreĀ high-bandwidthĀ memory,Ā squeezingĀ suppliesĀ andĀ pushingĀ pricesĀ higher.Ā 
RisingĀ pricesĀ haveĀ evenĀ extendedĀ toĀ refurbs.Ā 
Apple’sĀ newlyĀ listedĀ 256GBĀ refurbishedĀ MacBookĀ NeoĀ costsĀ $599,Ā theĀ sameĀ priceĀ asĀ aĀ brand-newĀ modelĀ beforeĀ theĀ hike.Ā 
Meanwhile, current iPhone prices in Japan rose between 8% and 11%, or „8,000 to „20,000 depending on the model. 
AppleĀ gaveĀ noĀ reason,Ā butĀ yen’sĀ recentĀ weaknessĀ isĀ aĀ likelyĀ explanation.Ā 
iPhoneĀ pricesĀ inĀ theĀ U.S.Ā haven’tĀ increasedĀ yet,Ā butĀ we’reĀ expectingĀ Apple’sĀ fallĀ iPhoneĀ lineupĀ toĀ debutĀ withĀ higherĀ costs.Ā 
It’sĀ notĀ justĀ AppleĀ hardwareĀ 
AppleĀ hardwareĀ isn’tĀ theĀ onlyĀ thingĀ gettingĀ moreĀ expensiveĀ forĀ customers.Ā 
TheĀ costĀ ofĀ AppleCare+Ā recentlyĀ increasedĀ asĀ well.Ā 
NewĀ plansĀ forĀ everyĀ currentĀ MacĀ andĀ iPadĀ increasedĀ byĀ 50Ā centsĀ perĀ monthĀ orĀ $5Ā perĀ year.Ā 
ExistingĀ subscribersĀ keptĀ theirĀ oldĀ pricing,Ā andĀ AppleCareĀ OneĀ stayedĀ atĀ $19.99Ā perĀ month,Ā makingĀ theĀ bundleĀ aĀ relativelyĀ betterĀ deal.Ā 
ThenĀ onĀ Friday,Ā AppleĀ raisedĀ AppleĀ MusicĀ andĀ mostĀ AppleĀ OneĀ bundleĀ prices.Ā 
AppleĀ MusicĀ isĀ nowĀ $11.99Ā perĀ monthĀ forĀ individualsĀ whileĀ familyĀ plansĀ costĀ $19.99.Ā 
AppleĀ explicitlyĀ citedĀ risingĀ licensingĀ costs.Ā 
NotĀ exactlyĀ musicĀ toĀ ourĀ ears,Ā inĀ theĀ contextĀ ofĀ everythingĀ elseĀ gettingĀ moreĀ expensive.Ā 
AppleĀ OneĀ FamilyĀ andĀ PremierĀ eachĀ increasedĀ byĀ $2,Ā whileĀ IndividualĀ remainedĀ unchanged.Ā 
AppleĀ didn’tĀ spellĀ outĀ theĀ bundleĀ math,Ā butĀ theĀ affectedĀ tiersĀ includeĀ theĀ FamilyĀ versionĀ ofĀ AppleĀ Music,Ā whichĀ sawĀ theĀ largestĀ increase.Ā 
AllĀ told,Ā it’sĀ aĀ collectionĀ ofĀ priceĀ increasesĀ tiedĀ toĀ componentĀ shortages,Ā licensingĀ costs,Ā andĀ probablyĀ currencyĀ pressure.Ā 
ForĀ customersĀ buyingĀ hardware,Ā addingĀ protection,Ā orĀ payingĀ forĀ services,Ā moreĀ ofĀ theĀ AppleĀ ecosystemĀ nowĀ costsĀ more.Ā 
TheĀ onlyĀ questionĀ isĀ whatĀ willĀ AppleĀ makeĀ costĀ moreĀ next?Ā 
DoĀ moreĀ withĀ yourĀ AppleĀ productsĀ 
AppleĀ AirTagĀ 2Ā |Ā AddĀ FindĀ MyĀ trackingĀ toĀ keys,Ā bags,Ā bikes,Ā moreĀ 
AirPodsĀ 4Ā |Ā Apple’sĀ newestĀ wirelessĀ headphonesĀ 
AirPodsĀ ProĀ 3Ā |Ā Apple’sĀ bestĀ wirelessĀ headphonesĀ 
BeatsĀ USB-AĀ toĀ USB-CĀ CableĀ |Ā TheĀ officialĀ CarPlayĀ cableĀ 
WirelessĀ CarPlayĀ AdapterĀ |Ā NoĀ moreĀ pluggingĀ inĀ requiredĀ 
WithingsĀ BodyĀ CompĀ |Ā BestĀ smartĀ scaleĀ forĀ AppleĀ HealthĀ 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 7.2%Zac Hall: 1.9%9to5Mac: 3.1%Confirmation Bias7.2%This article: 3.9%Zac Hall: 0.5%9to5Mac: 2.0%Anchoring Bias3.9%This article: 6.2%Zac Hall: 1.3%9to5Mac: 2.8%Availability Heuristic6.2%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 1.1%9to5Mac: 1.0%Representativeness Heuristic0.0%This article: 2.1%Zac Hall: 0.4%9to5Mac: 0.3%Hindsight Bias2.1%This article: 7.8%Zac Hall: 2.5%9to5Mac: 2.6%Overconfidence Bias7.8%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 3.4%9to5Mac: 4.4%Framing Effect0.0%This article: 8.0%Zac Hall: 1.4%9to5Mac: 1.1%Loss Aversion8.0%This article: 6.2%Zac Hall: 1.5%9to5Mac: 0.7%Status Quo Bias6.2%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.2%9to5Mac: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 2.9%9to5Mac: 3.2%Optimism Bias0.0%This article: 12.9%Zac Hall: 2.7%9to5Mac: 2.0%Pessimism Bias12.9%This article: 13.8%Zac Hall: 3.4%9to5Mac: 3.9%Negativity Bias13.8%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 1.2%9to5Mac: 0.9%Self-Serving Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.4%9to5Mac: 0.4%Fundamental Attribution Error0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.3%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.1%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 3.7%Zac Hall: 4.5%9to5Mac: 2.9%Halo Effect3.7%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.0%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 8.4%Zac Hall: 2.0%9to5Mac: 1.5%Recency Bias8.4%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.5%9to5Mac: 0.3%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.2%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.1%Straw Man0.0%This article: 3.9%Zac Hall: 3.4%9to5Mac: 2.9%Appeal to Authority3.9%This article: 3.3%Zac Hall: 0.8%9to5Mac: 1.2%False Dilemma3.3%This article: 4.1%Zac Hall: 0.4%9to5Mac: 0.6%Slippery Slope4.1%This article: 3.7%Zac Hall: 0.2%9to5Mac: 0.1%Circular Reasoning3.7%This article: 6.0%Zac Hall: 1.9%9to5Mac: 4.5%Hasty Generalization6.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.3%9to5Mac: 0.1%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.7%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 3.1%Zac Hall: 1.7%9to5Mac: 1.8%Appeal to Emotion3.1%This article: 2.5%Zac Hall: 0.7%9to5Mac: 0.6%Begging the Question2.5%This article: 6.0%Zac Hall: 1.6%9to5Mac: 1.6%Post Hoc (False Cause)6.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.4%9to5Mac: 0.0%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.2%9to5Mac: 0.4%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.0%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 3.7%Zac Hall: 0.2%9to5Mac: 0.2%Composition/Division3.7%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.7%9to5Mac: 2.4%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 6.4%Zac Hall: 1.5%9to5Mac: 1.7%Ambiguity (Equivocation)6.4%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.2%9to5Mac: 0.2%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.1%9to5Mac: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 9.9%Zac Hall: 2.3%9to5Mac: 2.2%Unattributed Quote9.9%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.6%9to5Mac: 0.4%Quote-first Misdirection0.0%This article: 33.1%Zac Hall: 3.6%9to5Mac: 5.4%Biased Writer Voice33.1%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.8%9to5Mac: 1.5%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zac Hall: 0.0%9to5Mac: 0.0%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 12.9%Zac Hall: 14.5%9to5Mac: 13.3%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…12.9%

487 words analyzed.

Speakers

2speakers7.4%attributed speech451writer words
Selected voice

Tim Cook

100%flagged-word coverage
19 attributed words53% of attributed speech73% writer coverage
0%50.0%100.0%Unattributed Quote+97.3 ptsWriter: 2.7%Tim Cook: 100.0%100.0%Biased Writer Voice-35.7 ptsWriter: 35.7%Tim Cook: 0.0%0.0%Attempt to Sell a Product -14.0 ptsWriter: 14.0%Tim Cook: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.