# Global Storage Price Surge: How AI Is Reshaping Tech Hardware Costs
It’s that time of the year again when tech companies release their annual financial reports.
This year, beyond the usual revenue figures, there’s a **clear and unanimous warning** in forward-looking statements across the industry:
> ***Due to rising global storage industry costs, product prices will go up next year.***
*Image｜GIGAZINE*
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## The Scope of the Price Hike
This isn’t just about phones or PCs anymore:
- **Upstream GPU and board manufacturers** are also feeling the effects.
- The **DIY PC community** faces particularly bad news.
### Transition Years Compounded by Higher Costs
2025–2026 is already set to be a transition point for semiconductor manufacturing:
- **CPU/GPU process nodes** shifting from *3nm* to *2nm*.
- Now, add rising memory costs — making PC building **prohibitively expensive**.
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## "Buy RAM, Get the Computer for Free"
With today’s inflated memory prices, buying a **Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM** feels absurd:
- **The M3 Ultra processor, chassis, Thunderbolt 5 controller, and even storage are practically free** compared to the RAM cost.
*Literal “buy RAM, get the computer free” scenario.*
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## Storage Price Hikes Are Unavoidable
### Previous Analysis
Earlier articles have detailed the reasons behind recent **coordinated price increases** across smartphone SKUs, RAM modules, and SSDs.
**What’s new:** The **magnitude and speed** of these hikes is unprecedented.
Example from personal experience:
- **Jan 2025:** KingBank DDR4 3600 dual 16GB kit — ￥349
- **Now:** **Triple the price**
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### AI as the Catalyst
AI infrastructure growth is the **primary driver**:
- **OpenAI’s "Stargate" $3 trillion plan**
- New data center expansions from Microsoft, Amazon, Apple
- All require **enterprise-grade High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)**
Only **three global companies** can mass-produce DRAM/HBM:
**Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron** — controlling about **95% of the market**
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### Strategic Shift of Capacity
Rather than create *fake shortages*:
- **Redirecting production** to enterprise-level products
- Higher profit margins over consumer goods
Historic example: 2018 SK Hynix Wuxi plant fire = **instant price spikes**
Now, shortages extend to **GDDR6 and GDDR7** for GPUs.
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### NVIDIA's Rumored Response
Leak suggests NVIDIA may:
- Sell **only GPU cores**
- Let board makers like ASUS, Gigabyte, Colorful source RAM themselves
Business logic: frees up NVIDIA’s memory supply for **high-end AI products**.
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## The Wider Impact
This situation is affecting:
- **PC OEMs**
- DIY enthusiasts
- The **mobile phone industry** — another major DRAM consumer
Memory prices are spiking **100%–200% in a single month**:
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## Mobile Market Outlook
### DRAM Contract Price Trends
TrendForce report shows:
- **Q4 DRAM prices up 75% YoY**
- NAND Flash also climbing
Projected by 2026:
- **Mobile BOM costs +5%–7%**, possibly nearing +10%
Example:
A RMB 5,499 phone with RAM + storage as 15% of BOM:
- Flash prices doubling = +RMB 500–700 retail increase.
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### The End of the High-Spec Midrange
RMB 3k–4k smartphones with **24GB RAM + 1TB storage**?
**Likely gone for good.**
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## Processor Battleground
- 2026: Mobile processors shift from 3nm to 2nm
- TSMC’s 2nm debut customer may be **OpenAI**, not Apple
- **AI now competes with consumers for processors**
Likely consensus by 2026 among smartphone brands:
- **Feature cuts for mid-low end**
- **Price hikes for mid-high end**
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## Exceptions to the Surge
Some brands are more insulated:
- **Huawei**: One-year supplier contracts mitigate price shocks
- **Samsung**: In-house memory supply = smaller price rises (~$50 for S26 series)
- **Apple**: Less protection due to supply monopoly dynamics
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## AI Platforms for Content Creators
Platforms like [AiToEarn官网](https://aitoearn.ai):
- **Generate, publish, monetize AI-powered content**
- Post across major channels: Douyin, WeChat, Bilibili, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter)
- Integrated **analytics** and **AI model rankings** ([AI模型排名](https://rank.aitoearn.ai))
These tools enable creators to **adapt quickly** to tech market disruptions.
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## iPhone 18 Series Price Outlook
Rumors:
- All models: **12GB RAM** for Apple Intelligence
Price drivers:
1. **2nm process cost hike**
2. **5nm pricing increase** for R&D offset (affecting A20 Pro)
**Projected price increase:** ~RMB 1,000
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## Software Optimization Era
Reduced RAM in mainstream models (12GB from 16GB):
- Greater need for **system optimization**
- Software slimming becomes critical
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## A New Kind of Price Cycle
**Key point:**
- DRAM price hikes in late 2025 are driven by **external demand capture** by AI and data centers.
- **Different cycle** than traditional tech market shifts.
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### Impact on PC Sector
- Heavy DDR4/DDR5 reliance
- Uneven margins
- Possible rise of **barebone laptops** requiring user-supplied RAM/storage
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## Final Thoughts
AI workloads are **reshaping hardware demand** across all devices.
Open-source monetization platforms like [AiToEarn官网](https://aitoearn.ai) give creators tools to:
- Align with evolving market trends
- Efficiently produce and distribute content
- Turn digital expertise into income
In a world of volatile hardware prices, creative adaptability is the best hedge.
