Apple and Microsoft's Xbox have joined the firms hiking prices for devices and games consoles which are years old.
The report indicates that for years, buyers of tech could rely on a familiar trend – that older devices would get cheaper over time.
It further notes that that now seems to have stopped, or in some cases, has been completely reversed.
Apple and Microsoft’s Xbox have joined the firms hiking prices for devices and games consoles which are years old.
They and other tech companies have pointed to the rising cost of crucial components used to build their machines, blaming AI.
Compute-hungry data centres that power AI need more and more chips to keep up with demand from AI companies, meaning demand far outstrips supply.
Some people have called it “Ramageddon” – as random access memory (RAM), a once-cheap part of any computer, has now shot up in price.
But big tech’s Ram woes are failing to gain the sympathy of many consumers facing eye-watering costs for barely-new electronics.
Apple has raised the prices of its tablets and laptops by nearly 20%.
The news was swiftly followed by Microsoft saying it would yet again raise the price of its five-year-old Xbox Series S and X consoles by at least $100 (£75.70).
The pricing changes, which will take effect from August, are its third in just over a year, and see the cost of a new console be 30% to 40% more expensive than it was this time last year.
“Xbox with another hardware price increase? I gotta laugh to keep from crying,” wrote one X user reacting to Xbox’s console price hikes. “My favourite hobby is cooking.”
On Reddit, another user responding to the news stated Xbox “may as well just cancel” its upcoming console, Helix, because no one will be able to afford it.
Investors may not have been too overjoyed, either.
Apple’s share price took a tumble following the announcement of its price bumps on Thursday.
