The ongoing shortage of RAM chips is not only expected to persist into next year but will likely intensify in 2027, with tight supply conditions lasting until at least 2028, according to Samsung.

This means that for the foreseeable future, consumers can expect higher prices across a range of tech products as manufacturers try to recoup rising component costs. Samsung’s Q2 earnings call revealed that AI labs are desperate for memory infrastructure and have been sharing their demand forecasts directly with the company.

The high demand has enabled Samsung to prioritize long-term contract customers, avoiding past boom-and-bust cycles in the memory industry. However, this has meant higher prices at its semiconductor unit, pushing up component costs for smartphones and TVs. As a result, Galaxy smartphone and tablet sales have seen a drop due to increased pricing.

The memory shortage has also forced Apple to raise the prices of its MacBooks, Macs, and iPads. On its latest earnings call, Apple warned that revenue growth for the upcoming quarter is projected to slow.

With memory manufacturers shifting production capacity toward AI data centers, consumers are facing a new reality: higher device prices across the board, from gaming cards to laptops and consoles.