From CNET: Call it what you want: RAMageddon, chipflation, the AI tax. Amid a global memory shortage that’s compelling companies to hike prices on phones, PCs, laptops and gaming consoles, our devices keep getting more expensive.
On Thursday, Samsung quietly raised prices on the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra by $100, without issuing an official company statement. The Galaxy S26 FE didn’t go up in price, and Samsung’s newest foldables — Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 — were also spared the carnage.
For the larger 512GB models, the Galaxy S26 now lists at $1,200, the S26 Plus at $1,400, and the S26 Ultra at $1,600. The S26 Ultra with 1TB storage went up $200 and is now $2,000. All the company’s smartphone prices are listed here.
A Samsung representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The RAM shortage is a result of the massive buildout of AI data center infrastructure, which requires huge amounts of memory, especially high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. Apple and Google also raised prices by about $100 on their most recent phones.
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