Apple Hikes Prices on SanDisk SSDs by Up to 200%

Surging demand for storage from AI data centers is driving up costs for consumers.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 7:25pm

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Apple has significantly increased the prices of SanDisk external solid-state drives (SSDs) sold in its retail stores, both online and physical locations. A 4TB SanDisk SSD that previously cost around $500 is now priced at $1,200, while a 1TB version has gone from $120 to $360 - a 200% price hike. This price surge is attributed to the growing demand for storage and memory from the booming AI industry, which is causing shortages and driving up costs across the semiconductor market.

Why it matters

The steep price increases on SanDisk SSDs at Apple Stores highlight the broader supply chain challenges facing the tech industry due to the insatiable demand for storage and memory from AI data centers. This is squeezing consumers who are looking to expand their digital storage capacity, especially for high-capacity external drives.

The details

According to Bloomberg's Apple reporter Mark Gurman, the price hikes on SanDisk SSDs at Apple Stores are part of a broader trend of rising prices for storage and memory products. The demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) from large AI projects like OpenAI's Stargate has led semiconductor companies to prioritize production for these high-end chips over more consumer-focused DRAM and SSD components. This supply-demand imbalance is causing price increases not just for SSDs, but also traditional hard disk drives, which saw a 46% jump in prices between September 2025 and January 2026.

  • In March 2026, Apple increased prices on SanDisk external SSDs sold in its retail stores.

The players

Apple

A multinational technology company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.

SanDisk

A brand of Western Digital that produces solid-state drives (SSDs) and other digital storage products.

Mark Gurman

A technology reporter for Bloomberg who covers Apple and other tech companies.

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence research company that is developing large-scale AI projects, including the Stargate project, which is driving high demand for high-bandwidth memory.

Valve

A video game company that has struggled to source affordable RAM for its Steam Machine products due to the memory shortage.

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What’s next

As the demand for storage and memory from AI data centers continues to grow, it remains to be seen if the price hikes on consumer-level products like external SSDs will stabilize or if they will continue to climb.

The takeaway

The skyrocketing prices of SanDisk SSDs at Apple Stores are a symptom of the broader supply chain crisis facing the tech industry due to the insatiable appetite for storage and memory from the booming AI sector. This is squeezing consumers who are looking to expand their digital storage capacity, underscoring the need for semiconductor manufacturers to increase production to meet the growing demand.