Samsung Raising Memory Prices 7–10% for Phone Makers

Samsung's semiconductor division is negotiating 7–10% price increases on mobile DRAM and NAND flash chips, according to Korean publication Sisa Journal. The increases would hit prices that are already at record highs after a year of sustained hikes driven by AI demand.

Who Pays First

Chinese smartphone manufacturers are first in line — negotiations are reportedly already underway. Apple will be approached in Q4, between October and December. Samsung's own mobile division (DX) is not exempt either: the DS (semiconductor) and DX (consumer electronics) divisions operate as separate business units, and the chip side charges market rates internally.

Apple may be the toughest negotiation. Analysts estimate Apple buys roughly twice as much NAND and three times as much DRAM for its smartphones compared to Samsung. That volume gives Apple significant leverage to push back on pricing — something the company has done historically.

Why Prices Keep Rising

Memory chip prices have climbed steeply throughout 2026, fueled by insatiable demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI data centers. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — the three companies that control virtually all DRAM production globally — have all redirected capacity toward HBM, tightening supply for the smartphone-grade chips that go into every phone sold.

The result: phone makers are paying more per gigabyte at a time when storage and RAM capacities keep growing. A flagship phone with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage uses substantially more memory silicon than its predecessor, and each gigabyte now costs more to source.

What This Means for Phone Prices

Memory is one of the largest component costs in a smartphone. A 7–10% increase on DRAM and NAND would not translate directly to a 7–10% increase in retail price — but it adds pressure to margins at every tier. OEMs that absorb the cost lose profit; those that pass it on risk pricing out buyers in competitive mid-range segments.

Samsung itself is reportedly reviewing possible price increases on the Galaxy S26 series — phones already on sale for seven months. The memory cost pressure provides one explanation for that unusual mid-cycle move.