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Budget Laptops Get Pricey Amid Chip Shortage
8 Sep
Summary
- Dell's XPS 13 laptop increased by $100.
- Base model storage halved from 512GB to 256GB.
- Global memory crisis impacts component availability.
Dell has quietly increased the price of its entry-level XPS 13 laptop by $100. The company also introduced a new base model with half the storage, reducing it from 512GB to 256GB. This adjustment aligns its pricing and storage with Apple's MacBook Neo, with both now costing $700 for 256GB and $800 for 512GB. Doubling the RAM to 16GB now pushes the XPS 13's price to $1,000.
The price increases are a direct consequence of a global shortage in laptop components like RAM and SSD storage chips. This crisis, dubbed 'RAMageddon,' is driven by the burgeoning demand for components in AI data center construction. Apple had previously raised the price of its MacBook Neo by $100 in June due to similar rising component costs.
