RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M5 is now on sale for back-to-school season, with the starting at $1,134, or 13% off -- the lowest price we've seen since Apple's blanket price increase across its entire MacBook and iPad lineup in June. Also: I tried buying a MacBook Air from Apple today - shipping was delayed by over a monthThis means consumers are paying 15% to 25% more now than they would have on the same device a couple of months ago. While Amazon has changed its prices to match, some of the latest MacBook Air models are still less expensive there than at Apple. For example, the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 now starts at in the Apple store, but it's on Amazon -- not a major discount, but slightly lower. The increased cost is largely due to unprecedented demand for RAM and NAND flash storage from AI infrastructure companies, which are scooping it up for themselves, leading to a shortage for consumer electronics. This price increase should come as no surprise, however. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently warned of an impending price hike in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, admitting that it had reached a point where higher prices were "unavoidable."Also: Apple jacks up prices on its MacBooks and iPads - here's how much more you'll pay If you've been looking at snagging a new MacBook Air, this might be a final chance to grab one at a lower price until October Prime Day or Black Friday sales. The Air M5 earned our Editor's Choice for its features relative to cost, mature design, and thoroughly enjoyable user experience. It's still the jack-of-all-trades laptop I recommend to most people, with a thin-and-light build, fantastic battery life, and -- compared to the M4 -- more memory and faster storage.How I rated this deal I rated this deal a 3/5 because they're currently cheaper than the official Apple store, but not the lowest overall prices we've ever seen. Unfortunately, these prices might be as low as they can possibly go for now as companies grapple with the rising cost of device components, memory, and storage.
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