Apple Faces Rising Component Costs Blocking Budget MacBook

Apple Inc. faces rising NAND flash and lithium-ion battery cell prices that complicate plans for a lower-cost MacBook, according to an AppleInsider report. The report cites AI-driven demand, supply-chain constraints, and raw-material inflation pushing storage and battery costs higher, threatening margins for a sub-$1,000 model. That pressure forces Apple to weigh slimmer profits or hardware compromises, affecting potential education market gains.