AI Memory Shortage 2026 is putting smartphone and laptop prices under scrutiny after Samsung Electronics said on October 29 that memory-chip supplies could stay tight through 2028. Industry data show U.S. phone prices rising more slowly than global prices, while forecasts point to continued cost pressure for computer manufacturers and consumers.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung reported 107.4 trillion won in third-quarter operating profit, driven primarily by semiconductors
- Samsung’s consumer-device division posted an 800 billion won operating loss amid rising component costs
- Counterpoint Research found U.S. smartphone prices rose 5% through its September study, versus 15% globally
- TrendForce forecasts fourth-quarter contract-price increases of 10% to 15% for DRAM and 15% to 20% for NAND flash
- Gartner projects global PC prices could rise 17% in 2026, not necessarily across every U.S. model
Samsung Electronics disclosed a sharp contrast between its chip operations and consumer-device business on October 29. Memory sales helped deliver record earnings, but the division handling smartphones and home appliances recorded a loss.
Higher chip prices can benefit suppliers while raising the costs of producing phones and computers. They do not establish how much any particular device will cost at a U.S. retailer.
AI Memory Shortage 2026 Shows a Divide in Samsung’s Results
Samsung reported third-quarter revenue of 195.3 trillion won and operating profit of 107.4 trillion won for the period ended September 30. Its semiconductor division generated 106.5 trillion won in operating profit, accounting for nearly all the company’s total.
The Device eXperience division, which includes smartphones and home appliances, recorded an 800 billion won operating loss. Its revenue increased 8% from the previous quarter, but higher component costs weighed on profitability.
The results confirmed the operating-profit estimate described in Samsung’s earlier profit forecast and supplied divisional figures absent from the preliminary release.
Reuters reported that Samsung expects the memory-chip market to remain tight through 2028 because manufacturing expansion takes time. Samsung also expects AI-related demand to outpace industry supply growth in 2027. Both projections remain uncertain.
AI Server Demand Is Tightening DRAM and Storage Supplies
AI servers use high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, to deliver data to advanced processors. Conventional dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, serves different needs inside phones, laptops and servers. NAND flash stores files and software in smartphones and solid-state drives.
The products are not interchangeable. However, increasing HBM output can compete with conventional DRAM for manufacturing capacity, while server storage demand can tighten separate NAND supply chains.
A Samsung executive said in September that HBM could account for nearly 30% of the industry’s DRAM wafer capacity in 2027, up from about 20%, Reuters reported. The same emphasis on data-center products is reflected in Micron’s AI memory results.
TrendForce forecast in September that conventional DRAM contract prices would climb 10% to 15% in the fourth quarter, with NAND flash up 15% to 20%. These are wholesale forecasts, not projected increases in finished-device prices.
U.S. Smartphone Prices Are Rising Less Than Global Prices
Counterpoint Research reported on September 3 that existing smartphone retail prices had risen an average of 5% in the United States so far in 2026, compared with a 15% increase worldwide.
Counterpoint said U.S. increases were concentrated largely in newer releases, rather than spread evenly across all models, highlighting the difference between market averages and individual device prices.
Its analysis tracked more than 4,000 active models. New launches globally were priced about 25% higher than comparable models introduced a year earlier, a comparison that does not establish the same increase for new U.S. phones.
“Memory has become a key driver of smartphone BoM costs,” Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak said, referring to the cost of a handset’s components. The firm noted that some manufacturers are reducing storage capacity or adjusting other specifications to manage costs.
U.S. carrier financing and trade-in offers can soften upfront costs, Counterpoint said, but they do not necessarily reduce the full purchase price. The report also does not imply that every model has become more expensive.
In August, IDC forecast a 16.7% decline in worldwide smartphone shipments for 2026 and a 27.6% rise in the average global selling price to $581. Those figures are projections for the global market, not observed U.S. retail prices.
PC Forecasts Put Laptop Affordability Under Pressure
Gartner projected in February that memory and storage costs would contribute to a 17% rise in global PC prices in 2026 compared with 2025. IDC separately forecast in June that worldwide PC shipments would decline 11.3% during the year.
Neither forecast means that every American laptop has already become 17% more expensive. Manufacturers have different purchasing contracts, inventories and pricing strategies.
Lower-cost models face particular pressure. Gartner estimated memory expenses could reach 23% of a PC’s bill of materials, compared with 16% in 2025. The firm also projected that consumers would keep PCs longer.
Changes may appear in specifications as well as prices. TrendForce reported that some manufacturers were reducing solid-state-drive capacities in mainstream PCs to control costs. A laptop with less storage can differ in value even if its advertised price stays the same.
The AI Memory Shortage 2026 is affecting chip prices and manufacturers’ product decisions, but Samsung’s results do not confirm a uniform price increase for U.S. phones or laptops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI memory shortage 2026 raise U.S. phone prices?
The AI Memory Shortage 2026 is raising component costs, but U.S. retail prices vary by model. Counterpoint Research found an average 5% rise in existing U.S. smartphone prices through its September study.
Why do AI data centers affect consumer electronics?
HBM production can compete with conventional DRAM capacity used by phones and laptops. Server storage demand can also affect NAND supplies.
How much could laptop prices rise in 2026?
Gartner forecast a 17% increase in global PC prices for 2026. That does not establish an equivalent rise for any specific U.S. laptop.
Does Samsung’s report confirm higher phone prices?
No. Its October 29 results document strong chip profits and a consumer-device division loss, but no uniform U.S. retail price increase.
