Overview
- Apple updated the prices of third‑party external drives online and in retail stores last week, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
- A SanDisk 4TB portable SSD now lists for about $1,200, up from roughly $500, and the 1TB version jumped to about $360 from $120.
- Apple’s online store shows most external drives as unavailable for delivery or pickup, with limited stock reported in some physical stores.
- Vendors set pricing for these accessories rather than Apple, and similar shortages and higher prices are showing up at Amazon and Best Buy.
- The same supply squeeze tied to AI data centers has already pushed up recent Mac prices, and reporting indicates the pressure is likely to persist through 2026.