Samsung Electronics Co. is considering raising prices on its upcoming Galaxy S26 smartphones as a deepening global memory chip shortage drives up costs.
Supplies of DRAM, the key component used in smartphones and servers, have tightened sharply as major producers, including Samsung and SK Hynix Inc., shift more capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in artificial intelligence applications.
The shift has reduced supplies of general-purpose DRAM chips, prompting Apple Inc. and other smartphone makers to race to lock in long-term supply stretching through 2027.
Research firm TrendForce has recently raised its forecast for fourth-quarter DRAM price increases across all major segments.
It marked its second upward revision in just a month, in a rare move to lift its projections more than once in a single quarter.
Mobile DRAM prices are projected to see the sharpest gains. TrendForce said that prices for LPDDR4, used in mid-range smartphones and LPDDR5, embedded in high-end models, are now expected to climb 38-43% in the fourth quarter, up from earlier forecasts of 18%-23% and 20-25%, respectively.
TrendForce also raised its forecast for PC DRAM prices to a 25-30% increase from an earlier estimate of 18-23%.
Prices of server DRAM, the segment at the center of the supply crunch, is now expected to rise 28-33%. The firm also projected that NAND Fash prices will continue climbing each quarter through the end of next year.
TrendForce said that some chip suppliers have temporarily stopped giving price quotes due to a flood of orders from smartphone makers preparing for new product launches early next year.
