Back in February, Samsung told The Verge that global shortages of RAM and other materials, combined with tariffs, made a "significant contribution" to the price hike. But the company may be preparing another wave of price increases for its Galaxy flagship smartphones, according to a new report suggesting rising component costs and AI-related hardware demands are continuing to pressure the mobile industry.

Samsung Electronics is preparing to phase out older low-power memory standards, with reports confirming that the company has stopped accepting new orders for LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X chips. With this, the company is moving forward with LPDDR5 once the predecessors run out.

As you may know, the global RAM shortage made devices like smartphones more expensive. The price hike means fewer units are being produced to prevent costs from escalating further. At the same time, consumers stop buying due to the prices. This has had an obvious impact on sales in recent months.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you would have heard about the skyrocketing RAM prices. The reason is due to AI platforms constantly expanding, so supply < demand = prices+++. However, there are some people who think that recent developments could help bring the end of the RAM shortage sooner than expected, and prices could return to normal. Below is an update of recent happenings.

The hike in RAM costs caused a widespread increase in prices of many consumer electronics. This trend was expected to stay constant or even increase. However, DDR5 RAM prices dipped for the first time in months earlier this week, possibly due to the release of Google TurboQuant. The sudden shift in prices could be why chipmakers may slash chip shipments.

Recently, Phison CEO Pua Khein-Seng said that many electronics companies will go bankrupt this year due to the RAM shortage crisis. So, what should you know about it?

News of RAM shortages has been around for months, with many companies warning consumers to expect rising prices. This is bad news for many companies, as it means fewer people would be willing to buy new products. The good news is that ASUS has plans to help.

The rapid rise in memory chip prices is starting to shake up more than just smartphone and PC markets; it’s now affecting gaming handheld consoles as well. Manufacturers in this niche segment are beginning to feel the strain of “skyrocketing” RAM costs, a situation that has already led to shipment delays and configuration changes for upcoming handheld devices.

Industry research firm Counterpoint Research has revised its outlook for the global smartphone market, now projecting a slight contraction in shipments in 2026. The adjustment is largely due to a sharp rise in memory chip prices, especially for DRAM (RAM) used in smartphones, as supply tightens against booming demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and other high-end computing sectors.

With the demands of AI rising in recent years, it is not a surprise that the prices for RAM have increased as well. So, it should not be a surprise if companies decide to limit the RAM for their phones. So, what should you know about it?