Brace Yourself: The Tech Price Surge of 2026 Is Coming!

In 2026, consumers may face significant price increases on essential tech devices like smartphones, PCs, and smart TVs as the cost of RAM has skyrocketed—more than doubling since October 2025. This surge can be attributed to the burgeoning demand for data centers driven by AI advancements, creating a precarious supply-demand imbalance. Manufacturers might absorb mild cost hikes, but major increases will likely be transferred to consumers.

Steve Mason, general manager at CyberPowerPC, indicated that costs for components could be as high as 500% compared to previous rates. He emphasized that components like memory and storage may see price hikes leading manufacturers to reconsider their pricing strategies. With RAM being a critical component in almost all devices, analysts predict that the upward trend in pricing won’t ease until 2027 at the earliest.

Danny Williams of PCSpecialist noted a disparate impact on price increases based on inventory levels of different RAM producers, with some raising prices 1.5 to 2 times and others as much as 5 times. The increasing prices correlate with AI’s demand for High Bandwidth Memory, which has triggered a spike in the cost of various memory chips, as pointed out by Chris Miller, author of Chip War.

As cloud service giants like Amazon and Google finalize their requirements for memory, Mike Howard from Tech Insights remarked that suppliers are responding to an unmistakable demand surge, which results in ongoing price escalations. In fact, memory has become a more substantial part of PC manufacturing costs, now representing 30-40% where it used to be just 15-20%.

Given the persistent price trend, consumers will be left with tough choices in 2026: either pay a premium for the performance they desire or opt for lower-performance alternatives. Some companies, like Micron, have exited the consumer RAM market to focus solely on AI, which could further limit consumer options—forcing many to extend the life of their older devices. Manufacturer costs for devices such as laptops and smartphones are projected to rise by $30-$50, leading to potential direct price increases for consumers. Ultimately, customers must navigate a tech landscape where price and supply challenges will dominate for the next few years.