Surge in Laptop Prices as Memory Chip Shortage Continues
Seoul, South Korea, April 21—In an unsettling trend for consumers, both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have enacted dual price increases for laptops within a mere three-month span.
This escalation is attributed to a critical shortage of memory chips, which is significantly disrupting the consumer electronics landscape.
The Korea Herald reports that certain models have seen price hikes nearing 50 percent compared to figures from the previous year.
The flagship Galaxy Book 6 Pro, equipped with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, now retails for an eye-watering 4.19 million won (approximately USD 2,847) in South Korea.
This signifies a drastic increase from its predecessor, which was available for 2.81 million won (around USD 1,914) last year.
Samsung’s Pricing Strategy
Samsung established launch prices this January that were already considerably higher than previous models. A second price surge earlier this month added up to 900,000 won (USD 613), bringing the high-end Galaxy Book 6 Ultra to a starting price of 5.53 million won (USD 3,767).
LG Electronics Follows Suit
In parallel, LG Electronics has adopted a comparable pricing model for its notebook offerings. The newly launched 2026 Gram Pro 16-inch model debuted in January at 3.14 million won (USD 2,139), reflecting a rise of about 500,000 won (USD 341) from its predecessor.
By April, this price had further escalated by an additional 400,000 won, culminating at 3.54 million won (USD 2,411).
“This is future demand being pulled forward,” an industry insider remarked, as quoted in the report.
Another industry expert elaborated: “Once prices breach psychological thresholds in the latter half of the year, we anticipate a contraction in spending across both public and private sectors.”
Memory Prices Skyrocketing
According to Counterpoint Research, broad memory prices experienced staggering quarter-on-quarter increases ranging from 80 to 90 percent in early 2026.
This phenomenon is largely driven by the soaring prices of underlying components. Data from Omdia indicates that prices for 16GB DDR5 modules surged from USD 72.20 in Q4 2025 to USD 119.20 in Q1 2026, with projections suggesting a continuation to USD 167.60 by Q4.
Impact on Smartphones
This pricing trend reverberates throughout the smartphone sector as well. In March, Samsung introduced its Galaxy S26 series, implementing price increases of approximately 100,000 won per model in domestic markets, alongside a USD 100 increase for the base and Plus variants in the United States. Additionally, the company retroactively raised prices for the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7 foldables in April.
Memory’s Growing Share in Costs
TrendForce data reveals that what once accounted for 10 to 15 percent of smartphone material costs has now surged to between 30 and 40 percent.
Predominant manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, who collectively dominate approximately 90 percent of the global DRAM production, are currently prioritizing high-bandwidth memory for artificial intelligence applications. This pivot occurs at the expense of standard chips employed in computers and mobile devices.
“Counterpoint estimates that closing this production gap necessitates a 12 percent annual growth through 2027; however, existing plans indicate only 7.5 percent growth is feasible.
Some buyers are acting preemptively, as global PC shipments rose by 3.2 percent year-on-year to 64.8 million units in Q1, driven by consumers and enterprises eager to secure their purchases ahead of further increases,” the report concluded.
Source link: Lokmattimes.com.
