Smartphones and PC: If you are planning to buy a new smartphone, laptop or PC in 2026, then you may have to be prepared for additional burden on your pocket. The reason is a component about which we often do not even think, RAM. The prices of RAM, once considered the cheapest, are now increasing rapidly and this is going to affect almost every digital device.
Why did RAM prices suddenly jump?
RAM prices have more than doubled since October 2025. In many cases, companies are being quoted 4 to 5 times higher prices than before. This surge is not due to any one reason, but due to a combination of many factors. The biggest reason is the rapid spread of AI technology.
AI and data centers upset the balance
Today, huge data centers are being built to run AI. These data centers depend on high-performance servers and special types of memory, which consume a lot of RAM. As the use of AI increased, the demand for RAM also started skyrocketing.
But the problem is that the supply of RAM could not increase that fast. The result was that a huge gap arose between demand and supply, and prices started rising continuously.
These expenses are not small, they are big
According to BBC report, tech companies often bear small expenses themselves so that customers are not affected. But when the increase in cost becomes too high, its burden ultimately reaches the customer. Many computer manufacturing companies say that in the current situation it will be almost impossible not to increase prices.
According to one PC manufacturer, they have recently been quoted prices up to 500% higher for some RAM components. In such a situation, companies have the option of either reducing profits or making their products expensive.
Every device will be affected
RAM is not a limited thing. It is used in almost every electronic device like smartphone, laptop, desktop, smart TV, medical devices. This is the reason why if memory becomes expensive then its impact will be visible on the entire tech market.
Some companies already have stock, so the price increase there may be slightly less. But manufacturers who have less inventory have directly increased prices by 4 to 5 times.
Inflation may continue till 2026
Tech industry experts believe that this rise in RAM prices may continue till 2026, but the situation will remain challenging till 2027 also. The high-end memory used for AI has affected the entire market due to which the RAM used for common users has also become expensive.
Big companies providing cloud services have already estimated the needs of 2026 and 2027. This has given a clear signal to RAM manufacturing companies that the demand is going to be very high, while the supply is limited.
Why are companies not able to bear the costs?
In a typical laptop, RAM accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of the total cost. But due to current prices this share has reached 30 to 40 percent. Profits in consumer electronics are already limited, so companies cannot bear such huge costs themselves. Some suppliers have even stopped giving price quotations, which is an indication that they fully expect further inflation.
How expensive can smartphones and laptops be?
The manufacturing cost of a typical laptop with 16GB of RAM may increase by $40 to $50 in 2026. Talking about smartphones, the cost of one phone can increase by about $30. This increase will be recovered directly from the customer.
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