Samsung increased RAM prices by up to 60% in recent weeks, are you ready to pay more in 2026?

Are we going to pay more for phones in the (very) near future? Well, it seems so: Samsung's latest price hikes on memory chips could soon hit the phones in our pockets. Demand for AI data centers is draining global supply, and the fallout is starting to spread far beyond servers.

It's going one way: up

Reuters highlights how Samsung has sharply raised prices on several DDR5 memory chips, according to people familiar with the situation. These chips are normally used in servers that power AI models, but they're also found inside smartphones, tablets, and laptops. With supply tightening fast, Samsung reportedly lifted prices for some models by as much as 60% between September and November.

These jumps are unusually steep. One major distributor told Reuters that Samsung's 32 GB DDR5 modules climbed from $149 in September to $239 in November. Prices for 16 GB and 128 GB chips rose about 50%, and other configurations saw increases of more than 30%. Samsung hasn't commented publicly, but a second source confirmed the hikes.

The reason is simple: demand for memory chips in AI servers has exploded. Companies building data centers are scrambling for supply and are now paying heavy premiums to secure whatever they can. Some buyers have even started panic-ordering as shortages worsen. The crunch is so severe that China's SMIC says companies are delaying other chip purchases simply because memory has become too hard to source.

Even Xiaomi warned that the rising costs are already making phone manufacturing more expensive.

As you may remember, Xiaomi recently launched their new Redmi K90 series, and Xiaomi president Lu Weibing explained on social media that the sharp rise in memory prices has already forced them to set higher launch prices (compared to the Redmi K80). He also warned that these costs could continue to climb if the shortage drags on.

Can price hikes be avoided?

For smartphones, the danger is indirect but real. DDR5 isn't just a server part; it's also used in high-end phones and tablets. If memory pricing stays this high, phone makers may have to swallow the extra cost or pass it on to consumers through more expensive flagship models.

The reputable tipster Digital Chat Station, for example, expects the latter:



This comes at a time when companies everywhere are watching their budgets.

The new normal

From where I see it, this kind of memory crunch is bound to hit smartphones sooner or later. Even if phone makers try to hold off on raising prices, something’s going to give – slimmer margins, fewer promotions, or smaller memory in base models. With supply deals now locking in prices into 2026 and 2027, I wouldn't be surprised if high memory costs become the new normal.

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