Korean work Sisa Journal e reports that Samsung Electronics (the DS division, specifically) wants to summation the prices of DRAM and NAND for smartphones by 7% to 10%.
Chinese smartphone makers are archetypal – negotiations with them are already underway. Apple volition beryllium asked backmost to the negotiating array successful Q4 (October-December). Even Samsung’s smartphone part volition not beryllium spared (the DS and DX divisions run separately).
Apple whitethorn beryllium a pugnacious cooky to crack, though. Analysts estimation that Apple buys 2 times arsenic overmuch NAND for its smartphones arsenic Samsung and 3 times arsenic overmuch arsenic Xiaomi. This gives it a batch of negotiating power.
The occupation is that Samsung (as good arsenic SK Hynix and Micron) is making large profits disconnected high-margin representation similar HBM and server DRAM. So, representation fabs absorption connected high-performance, high-margin representation types alternatively of the LPDDR that smartphones need.
According to marketplace probe steadfast Omdia, the prices of DRAM and NAND person skyrocketed since past twelvemonth and volition proceed to rise, albeit astatine a slower pace. Check the array beneath for the costs of an 8GB/256GB combo and a pricier 12GB/512GB configuration – support successful caput that this is conscionable what the RAM and retention cost. Omdia predicts that prices volition stay precocious until the archetypal fractional of 2027.
| Q3 2025 | $35 | $60 |
| Q1 2026 | $109 | - |
| Q2 2026 | $132 | - |
| Q3 2026* | $140 | $202 |
| Q4 2026* | $144 | $206 |
| * estimates | ||
Source (in Korean)
English (US) ·