Be it a Galaxy, iPhone, Vivo, or something else, this is an awful time to get a new smartphone

Headlines keep making front pages about how the tech industry is undergoing a massive change as memory modules become increasingly expensive due to the AI boom. Perhaps what has been most surprising for me isn’t the smaller manufacturers having trouble keeping up, but the larger brands that are also being forced to hike prices.

Flagship smartphones from Samsung, Apple, Vivo, and other major manufacturers are seeing unprecedented price tag inflation, companies that once tried to not give in. And the smaller players, the ones that don’t dominate the smartphone landscape? Well, they’ve gone bust.

All in all, this is a pretty terrible time to want or need a new phone.

Price hikes for the iPhone

This one was the biggest surprise for me and, in my opinion, the strongest indicator of just how bad the situation is, especially because Apple tried to avoid it as best it could. The company reportedly wanted to buy up all of the memory supply and take a financial loss to keep prices the same across the board.

This would have theoretically allowed Apple to capture a lot more market share as competitors were forced to sell their own phones at much higher prices. Especially in regions where the iPhone has historically been viewed as an unobtainable status symbol.

But none of this is happening, as outgoing CEO Tim Cook has said in a recent interview that price hikes are now inevitable. Given the timing of his statement, it is reasonable to assume that the iPhone 17 will get more expensive as well, and not just the iPhone 18.

Though that isn’t to take away from the major iPhone 18 price hikes that are being reported by some sources.

The Galaxy phones are also becoming more expensive

Next year’s Galaxy S27 Ultra might be more expensive unless Samsung chooses to use an inferior processor. Additionally, price hikes have also hit budget Samsung models like the Galaxy A37 and the Galaxy A57.

Furthermore, the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 8 — as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, if I had to guess — are also expected to start with higher price tags. Price hikes for the Fold 8 and Flip 8 mean that phones that were already very pricey are now going to become even more out-of-reach items for many people unless they get excellent trade-in offers.

Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, and the rest will follow suit

Chinese giants Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor have already introduced price hikes, and more are sure to follow. In fact, a rumored price hike for the Vivo X Fold 6 suggests a whopping $400 jump. That’s a massive increase, whether you’re trading in an old phone or not.

These price hikes are far from over, if reports are to believed. Some time back, I said that people weren’t aware yet of how bad the impending smartphone price hikes are. I hate to have been right.

Then there are the casualties

Smaller phone manufacturers will not be able to cope with these industrywide developments. For example, this year’s Nothing CMF phone has been canceled due to the skyrocketing RAM prices. A budget phone simply wasn’t possible for Nothing to release in this climate.

On the other hand, some brands have started scaling back the hardware that they ship their budget and mid-range phones with. RAM is going down from 12 GB to 8 GB, 120 Hz screens are being dialed back to 90 Hz or even 60 Hz, and storage options are also decreasing. Some low-end phones have even returned to extremely old teardrop notch displays to cut costs.



Some major manufacturers might be looking at different ways to cut costs. Google, for example, might use cheaper RAM on the Pixel 11 line this year to keep prices in check. Samsung, on the other hand, is thinking of using China-based BOE’s displays for the Galaxy S26 FE and the base Galaxy S27 model.

What I’m saying is that there hasn’t been a time as bad as this to buy a new phone for as long as I can remember. That Dark Cherry iPhone 18 Pro or the new Galaxy S27 Pro might look appealing, but I’d advise just waiting a couple of years until all of this hopefully blows over.

And if you absolutely need a new phone, then perhaps it’s time to start considering the mid-rangers instead. Just for now.

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