Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) decision to raise MacBook and iPad prices sparked criticism from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), while Wedbush analyst Dan Ives defended CEO Tim Cook’s decision as necessary to protect profit margins.

Apple Raises Prices Amid AI-Driven Component Cost Surge

Apple on Thursday increased prices across several MacBook and iPad models, citing soaring memory and storage costs fueled by the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom.

The company also warned that higher component costs had become unavoidable.

Apple shares fell 6.15% on Thursday, marking their steepest one-day decline since April 2025. In the after-hours trading, the shares gained 0.40% and reached $276.25,…