RAMageddon Forces Apple To Embrace Buy Now, Pay Later

Apple continues to dominate the technology marketplace, yet the current global RAM shortage is forcing even the iPhone giant to hike prices and adopt “buy‑now‑pay‑later” financing, a clear sign that the market is under strain. In response, the company is reportedly partnering with Klarna to encourage consumers to upgrade their devices despite the rising cost of hardware.

Bloomberg reports that Apple’s new financing service is slated to launch on July 28 and will be accessible for “most” iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch models. The buy‑now‑pay‑later program will be backed by Klarna, offering a range of repayment plans tailored to each product line.

Customers who pass the credit checks will be able to lease new iPhones and Apple Watches for 24‑month periods, or new Macs and iPads for 36‑month cycles. Those who opt to pay additional fees can retain the hardware at the end of the subscription period, or begin a new lease for the latest upgrades.

This strategy follows Apple’s recent price increases for several flagship products, with the MacBook Air climbing from $1,100 to $1,300 and the popular MacBook Neo jumping from $600 to $700 in June.

Apple’s departing chief executive, Tim Cook, candidly revealed in a Wall Street Journal interview that the company has been scrambling to absorb soaring supply‑chain costs while protecting consumers. “We’ve been doing everything we can to shield our customers from these hikes, but the situation has become unsustainable,” he said, noting that he had never witnessed such a spike in any sector during his four‑decade career.

In contrast, Apple has not joined the tech titans currently driving the AI‑fuelled “RAMageddon” frenzy, keeping its focus away from the hardware arms race that is reshaping the market.