Premium Chromebooks See Price Hikes from Lenovo and Acer

The escalating prices of Windows laptops are not the only concern amid the ongoing global RAM shortage; premium Chromebooks from notable PC manufacturers are also witnessing significant price hikes. Recently, two major players in the tech industry, Lenovo and Acer, have discreetly increased the prices of their top-tier Chromebook models, reflecting a broader trend in the market.

As of mid-May, two configurations of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 and one variant of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 have seen price increases of up to $250 compared to their launch prices last year. Meanwhile, a second configuration of the Acer model has maintained its price at $799.99 since its release in September 2025, although it was reported out of stock at the time of this writing.

Interestingly, neither Lenovo nor Acer has made official announcements regarding these price adjustments, which were initially highlighted by the tech news site Chrome Unboxed. Mashable has reached out to both companies for clarification and will provide updates as soon as we receive a response.

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Both of these Chromebooks are recognized as best-in-class devices, having undergone rigorous testing to assess their performance and reliability. However, they were already priced high at their original MSRP. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which now retails for $999, is particularly challenging to endorse at full price, despite its stunning OLED display and responsive processor. In comparison, an on-sale M5 MacBook Air presents a significantly smarter investment.

These recent price adjustments only serve to highlight the value of Apple’s new budget laptop, the award-winning MacBook Neo, which is priced at $599 (or $499 for education purchasers). However, consumers should act quickly, as this attractive pricing may not last much longer.

The escalating demand for RAM and SSD components, primarily driven by the construction of AI data centers, has resulted in a significant shortage of these crucial parts. This shortage has subsequently led to rising prices for the chips, which affects consumer electronics that rely on them. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that fraudulent sellers have begun marketing counterfeit RAM modules, and experts predict that the crisis may worsen in the coming year.

In April, Microsoft disclosed that it would be raising prices by as much as $500 for its Surface Laptops and Surface Pro convertibles, attributing these hikes to “recent increases in memory and component costs,” according to a statement made to Windows Central. Similarly, the modular PC manufacturer Framework has been adjusting its RAM and SSD prices monthly since December, with the latest communication indicating a temporary stability this spring, although they warned it might only be a short-term relief.

On the other hand, Apple appears to have been largely unaffected by the RAMageddon phenomenon thus far. However, the company did discontinue the most affordable version of its Mac mini desktop computer earlier this month. According to tech analyst Tim Culpan, the base model of the MacBook Neo may soon face a similar fate.