If you’ve been holding off on upgrading to a new phone, you may want to rethink that decision as the devices could be getting pricier pretty soon. Memory chips, particularly DRAM modules, are becoming more expensive, which in turn will lead to costlier electronics. And despite being a major memory manufacturer, Samsung might increase the prices of its own Galaxy phones.
According to a report by Hankyung, Samsung is considering raising the prices of some of its products, including smartphones. More specifically, low to mid-priced phones are the main candidates for the price hike. This includes the brand’s Galaxy A and M lineups, although details remain uncertain. For now, it is unclear just how much of a price increase we will be seeing.
As to why memory prices have been climbing, it’s mainly due to a shortage. Demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers has been rising in recent years. The hardware required is more complex, so manufacturers have switched to prioritising the production of these components. This leaves fewer resources for the standard DRAM used in smartphones.
According to analysis reports, the DRAM shortage could last for “more than two years”. In the meantime, Samsung is apparently attempting to mitigate the issues with an expanded advanced DRAM production line.
While the price hike is expected to affect the Samsung Galaxy A and M devices the most, the Korean tech giant’s premium S lineup might also become more expensive. The brand equips its flagship devices with AI-powered tools, so the rising costs associated with the necessary hardware may lead to a heftier price tag.
(Source: Hankyung via 9To5Google)
