Chip Crunch Set to Raise Your Next Smartphone’s Price in 2026

A memory-chip shortage driven by surging AI data-center demand is lifting storage and memory costs, triggering pricing pressure across devices in 2026. Nothing’s Carl Pei warns of 30%+ price hikes on some models, and Samsung hints at repricing; Dell and HP signaled 15–20% increases in the near term. IDC expects smartphone prices to rise 3–8% and PC prices 4–8%, with global device shipments potentially down about 9%. TrendForce also projects reduced smartphone production, while larger brands may gain share as smaller players struggle.}