Tech buying decision · Shoppers planning a laptop, tablet, phone, or console purchase

The 2026 Memory Shortage: Why Tech Prices Keep Climbing

Updated June 2026

A 2026 memory shortage — driven by AI data centers consuming DRAM and storage — is pushing up prices on laptops, tablets, phones, and game consoles. Apple and Microsoft have already raised prices, and components are forecast to climb further. If a memory-heavy device is on your list, buying before the next increase is the safer bet.

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If it feels like electronics suddenly got more expensive in 2026, you are not imagining it. A memory shortage — the same DRAM and flash storage that lives inside every laptop, tablet, phone, and console — has sent component costs sharply higher, and the finished products are starting to follow. Apple and Microsoft have both raised prices, and the makers themselves are warning of more to come. This is a plain-English guide to what is happening, which products are most exposed, and how to time a purchase so you are not caught by the next increase.

CategoryMemory exposurePrice trend in 2026Where to buy
Laptops (e.g. MacBook)High — RAM plus storageAlready up ~18%Check price on Amazon
Tablets (e.g. iPad)HighAlready up ~19–25%Check price on Amazon
Phones (e.g. iPhone)High — memory-denseIncreases projected within a yearCheck price on Amazon
Smart home / streamingLowerLess affected so farCheck price on Amazon
E-readersModerateWorth buying before any moveCheck price on Amazon

What the memory shortage actually is

Two kinds of memory power modern electronics: DRAM, the fast working memory a device uses while it runs, and NAND flash, the storage that holds your files. Both are made by a small number of factories, and in 2026 those factories cannot keep up. The reason is artificial intelligence: training and running large AI models requires staggering amounts of high-speed memory, and data-center operators are buying it faster than it can be produced. That demand pulls supply away from consumer devices and drives the price of what remains sharply higher. DRAM rose by as much as 98% in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with a further 58–63% increase forecast for the current quarter. When the raw ingredient nearly doubles in price, the cost has to surface somewhere — and it is surfacing in the price of the things you buy.

Who has already raised prices

This is no longer a forecast — it is happening. Apple raised current-generation Mac prices by roughly 18% and iPad prices by up to about 25% in June 2026, naming the memory and storage shortage directly. Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles in the same window, said console storage and memory costs were already up more than 2.5 times, and warned of another doubling by the autumn of 2027. Analysts expect phone makers to follow, with projected iPhone increases in the coming year. The pattern matters more than any single number: when multiple major manufacturers raise prices simultaneously and cite the same root cause, it signals a durable shift in the baseline rather than a one-off.

Which of your purchases are most exposed

The more memory and storage a device packs, the more its price is tied to the shortage. Laptops and tablets are the most exposed, because they combine large amounts of both RAM and storage — which is exactly why Macs and iPads moved first. Phones are close behind, since modern handsets carry generous memory and high-capacity storage. Game consoles are highly exposed on the storage side, which is what drove Microsoft’s increase. Lower down the list, smart-home gadgets, streaming sticks, and e-readers use far less memory, so their prices are less sensitive — though nothing is fully insulated if the shortage deepens. If you are prioritizing, protect yourself on the big, memory-dense purchases first.

What to buy before the next increase

The logic of a rising market is the opposite of the usual advice. Normally you wait for a sale; in a shortage, the device you want is most likely cheaper today than it will be next quarter. If a laptop, tablet, or new phone is genuinely on your list for the next several months, pulling that purchase forward is the rational move. The discipline is to only buy what you would have bought anyway — fear of a price hike is not a reason to acquire something you do not need. For lower-exposure items like a streaming device or e-reader, there is less urgency, so those can wait for a normal sale. Match the timing to the exposure.

How to time it without overpaying

Buying early in a rising market still means buying at a fair price, not any price. Check an item’s price history before you commit, so you are buying at a real low rather than a number that was quietly nudged up and dressed as a deal. If you are weighing several devices, keep them on one list and watch them together, then act on whichever hits a genuine low first. A MySecretCart wishlist does this and earns cashback on what you buy, which softens the blow of a higher baseline. With Prime Day 2026 running through June 26, this is also one of the last broad discount events before the new pricing fully settles.

The verdict

The 2026 memory shortage is structural, driven by AI demand, and already moving prices on the most memory-heavy devices. Buy laptops, tablets, and due-for-upgrade phones before the next forecast increase; let lower-exposure gadgets wait for a normal sale. In a rising market, the patient move is to act early on what you genuinely need.

Who should skip this

Skip pulling a purchase forward if you do not actually need the device — a shortage does not change whether you need a new laptop. Also hold on low-exposure buys like streaming sticks or e-readers, which are less affected and can wait for an ordinary sale. And if your current gear is fine, the smartest response to rising prices is simply not to buy.

How we chose

Based on June 25–26, 2026 reporting from Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and the Globe & Mail covering Apple and Microsoft price increases and the underlying DRAM and NAND shortage, cross-checked against stated component-cost forecasts. We describe trends in percentages rather than fixed prices, which vary by configuration and region and change over time.

Frequently asked

Why are electronics getting more expensive in 2026?

A memory shortage is the main driver. AI data centers are consuming enormous quantities of DRAM and flash storage, outpacing supply and pushing component prices sharply higher — DRAM rose as much as 98% in early 2026 — which raises the cost of laptops, tablets, phones, and consoles.

Which devices are most affected by the memory shortage?

Memory-heavy devices feel it most: laptops and tablets first, then phones and game consoles. Lower-memory products like streaming sticks, smart speakers, and e-readers are less sensitive, though no category is fully insulated if the shortage worsens.

Should I buy a laptop or phone now or wait?

If you need it within the next several months, buying now is the safer bet, because prices are forecast to rise rather than fall. If you do not need it, a price increase is not a reason to buy. For low-exposure gadgets, waiting for a normal sale is fine.

How long will the memory shortage last?

There is no firm end date. Forecasts point to further component price increases through 2026, and Microsoft has warned of another doubling of console memory costs by late 2027, so most signals suggest the pressure continues rather than easing soon.

Are prices going to keep rising?

The available forecasts say yes for now. With DRAM costs projected to climb a further 58–63% in the current quarter and multiple makers already raising prices, the near-term trend points up. That is why acting early on a needed purchase generally beats waiting.

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