“When I last mentioned Apple SSD prices, they maxed out at $2/GB. Apple’s prices (per GB) also tended to rise as capacity rose,” Robin Harris writes for ZDNet. “For example, under the pricing announced on June 5, 2017 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the first 192GB increment to the base configuration, cost $0.52/GB. The next increment, 448GB, cost $0.67/GB. Then a couple of weeks ago, Apple quietly raised iPad Pro prices for the 256GB and 512GB models by $50 each.”
“Now Apple’s storage prices are constant across capacity. Under the new pricing that was not announced – simply inserted into the Apple Store – a couple of weeks ago, that first 192GB now costs $0.78/GB. The added 448GB costs also costs $0.78/GB,” Harris writes. “In fact, MacBook Pro flash increments are also $0.78/GB. So iOS has parity with the Mac in storage pricing as well.”
“Removing the price disincentive for larger capacities is a smart move for Apple,” Harris writes. “Apple must be very confident of its flash supply to do this. And a driver for their part of the winning bid for Toshiba’s flash business. [Due to intense demand], NAND flash storage prices have risen dramatically – ≈50 percent – over the last year… Toshiba’s new fab will come on line next year, which will relieve supply constraints. And Apple’s march to lower costs should resume.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple still makes strong margins on storage, but, as Harris points out, they’ve also dropped prices by over half in the last couple of years.
SEE ALSO:
Toshiba signs deal to sell chip unit to Bain Capital-led, Apple-backed group for $18 billion – September 28, 2017
KKR said to be wooing Apple to switch sides in Toshiba bid – September 26, 2017
Bain Capital-Apple group to buy Toshiba chip business for $18 billion – September 21, 2017
Toshiba decides on Bain Capital-Apple Group in chip business sale – September 20, 2017
If Bain Capital bid for Toshiba succeeds, it could be Apple’s largest deal ever – September 14, 2017
Apple mounts a full-court press for Toshiba’s chip business, waging battle with Western Digital – September 8, 2017
Foxconn details plan to acquire Toshiba chips unit; Apple would own 20 percent – September 7, 2017
Bain Capital brings in Apple for last-minute $18 billion bid for Toshiba chip unit – August 30, 2017
Apple and Amazon to back Foxconn on Toshiba chip bid, Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou says – June 5, 2017
Apple may bid for big stake in Toshiba – April 17, 2017
U.S. suitors get major advantage as Japan to vet bidders in Toshiba chip sale over national security risks – March 10, 2017
Apple should do more and should have started reducing prices much earlier. The old 15 inch macbook retina with a paltry 256GB SSD storage is a disgrace. Then there are some macbooks that starts at 128GB storage. Very cruel
From the immortal Honeymooners…
Trixie: “My Ed has got more brains in his little finger than Ralph has got in his whole head.”
Ralph: “He’s still an idiot.”
Let’s just say, “There’s plenty of room to come down”. Throw in non-upgradability and you get a cynic.
Not only non-upgradability, but in places where it might be, Apple isn’t using the industry’s existing M.2 standard.
Agree it is hard to have a Mac that has limited SSD space. Especially if iTunes content is stored there.
My last rMBP had 250GB space and I would routinely have to move stuff off it when space got tight. I used that as my main machine for 4 years and was still performing very well except the battery needed replacing. It has now it has taken over duties as my media server. Luckily I was able to update the SSD with a third party drive to 500GB.
For the touch bar MBP I got at the beginning of the year, I customized the base model to increase the size to 500GB. Cost me an extra $200 but worth the investment since this machine will likely last 4-5 years.
With Mac lasting a very long time and maintaining their overall performance with successive OS upgrades, one of the main limitations is now the size of the SSD. Hopefully prices will go down and help Apple increase the size in their base models and reduce the cost of upgrades.
I look forward to the day when storage becomes so cheap that it’s not worth Apple selling iPhones with less than the maximum memory.
There might come a point where the cost of building, distributing and supporting multiple models differing only by memory size amounts to more than extra cost of the larger storage chips.
Hmmm…
So Apple has finally reached price parity for different sizes of SSD. Strange, in the rest of the world the price goes *down* as the capacity increases.
Call be back when it costs *less* per GB when you buy the higher capacities. THAT would be news.