Phone prices are going up and theyll keep going up into next year yet
another tech CEO says the RAM crisis wont end soon

Date:
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Description:
CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei, says prices might be as good as theyll get for a while, and that were better off acting fast to avoid disappointment.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Nothing's Carl Pei has bad news about the RAM crisis "Phone prices are going up and theyll keep going up into next year. He adds that seasonal sales might not be as useful as in previous years The RAM crisis feels like one of those problems that might one day ideally soon be solved, and consumer tech would return to a more reasonable cost. Unfortunately, yet another industry expert this time the CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei says prices might be as good as theyll get for a while.
And that were better off acting fast to avoid disappointment.

In a post on social media, Pei explained that Memory is now the most
expensive component in a smartphone," adding that it can account for more
than 50% of the total hardware bill. As a result, phone prices are going up, Pei says, and theyll keep going up into next year. His post ends saying, If you've been waiting to upgrade a device, the best time was yesterday. The
next best time is now. This year's sale season won't have the discounts
people are used to. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone. It's more expensive than the processor, more expensive than the display, and can account for more than 50% of the total hardware bill.For Phone (4a), memory costs doubled between when we decided to build the device and https://t.co/4dJdSDwd6T June 12, 2026 That might mean Black Friday and the surrounding sales the end of the year brings
might not usher in the level of discounts were used to. As some older tech prices rise like the recent hikes to the PS5, Steam Deck , and others its possible end-of-year sales might only return gadgets to their pre-hike cost, or worse yet, offer a discount that falls short of that pre-hike level.

Peis warning echoes that of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang , who predicted at a recent event that the ongoing memory shortage is a crisis that'll last for "quite a few years", however an ex-Samsung boss Kye-hyun Kyung, who was the head of Samsung 's semiconductor business just a couple of years ago
predicts RAM costs may soften by late 2027, or early 2028, thanks to Chinese companies expanding the RAM output. You may like The RAM crisis will last 'quite a few years' says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang We may only have a year of the RAM crisis left if ex-Samsung boss is right MSI exec calls 2026 the 'most challenging year' ever due to RAM crisis

Additionally, Kyung noted that if the AI boom slows, investment and demand
for RAM may stall, helping lower costs amid an influx of Chinese supply and a dip in demand. Where's all the RAM? (Image credit: Unsplash / Liam Briese) When's the best time to buy new tech? Of course, this is all speculation. While Chinese chips may be on the way its possible countries like the US may impose import bans or extreme tariffs to counter them (especially if they
pose a risk to American companies like Nvidia ), and its possible they wont
be as desirable as Kyung predicts if they cant match the performance of their rivals though for budget-friendly tech cheap and slightly worse chips would be better than nothing. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your
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At the same time, Huang and Peis RAM crisis warnings come with baggage.
Nvidia massive stock price gains are in part because RAM and other component prices used by AI are on the up, Huang doesnt want companies waiting and hoping for a better deal, he wants them buying more Nvidia chips now out of fear costs will go up.

Similarly, Pei doesnt want consumers waiting to buy tech when its on sale or when prices drop; he wants them to buy Nothings phones now to help the
company recoup the higher costs it has paid to make the current lineup.
(Image credit: Amazon) If youre feeling strapped for cash but in need of a tech upgrade, the middle ground option might be to wait just a week. Thats because starting June 23, well hit Prime Day and get a flavor for what this years sales could look like. What to read next Micron warns 'AI is in very early innings' and RAM crisis isn't going away We are only able to supply,
for our key customers in the midterm, about 50% to two-thirds of their requirements: Micron CEO forecasts production spend increase to meet the insane demand for memory but the RAM crisis will only get worse SK Group chairman's bleak warning on RAM crisis: it could last until 2030

While Amazon has a proper event, other retailers around the world will slash prices to compete with the global shopping giant. Black Friday usually sees deeper discounts and more accessible deals that dont require a Prime membership, but Prime Day and whether its what we expected, worse than
usual, or better than usual should give us a hint at what Black Friday has
in store.

Alternatively, it could offer you a prime sweet spot. Giving you a chance to buy tech now at a reduced rate before it climbs higher, as Pei and Huang predict.

Unfortunately, theres no single right answer to this conundrum, given the
many unknowns. Even beyond RAM, were seeing SSD prices rise, so even if one crisis ends, another could be in full swing, and if there is some kind of AI bubble pop, costs wont drop instantly, as many companies have preordered
their components to lock-in pricing and availability ahead of time meaning inflated prices will stick around for a while even in the best-case scenario.

Hopefully, some light is coming at the end of this RAM crisis tunnel I have my fingers crossed, but Im not holding my breath. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tech/phone-prices-are-going-up-and-theyll-keep-going -up-into-next-year-yet-another-tech-ceo-says-the-ram-crisis-wont-end-soon


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