Apple has quietly adjusted pricing on external storage units, signaling tighter supply chains for memory components. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the tech giant implemented significant markups on specific SanDisk models available through its online and physical stores.

For data teams managing local archives or backup infrastructure, the numbers are stark. A 4TB drive previously listed at $500 now commands $1,200. Similarly, 1TB units jumped from $120 to $360. Gurman notes that availability is the deeper issue, with stock vanishing across major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Projections suggest these constraints will persist through the near term. Interestingly, Apple's own proprietary hardware remains unaffected by these price shifts.

This volatility underscores the fragility of hardware procurement budgets. When peripheral storage triples in cost, it impacts everything from edge device provisioning to cold storage strategies. Engineers should anticipate potential delays in hardware acquisition and reassess cloud versus on-prem cost models accordingly. For ML teams relying on local datasets, this might accelerate the shift toward object storage solutions despite egress fees.

Separately, security researchers urged users to update iPhone firmware recently. The patch addresses the Coruna malware, which has targeted mobile devices running recent iOS versions. While storage costs grab the headlines, maintaining device hygiene remains essential for protecting access credentials within engineering workflows. Keep an eye on vendor announcements, as memory shortages often ripple into server-grade components next. Planning for hardware redundancy is no longer optional.

Source: Lenta.RU