Samsung has reportedly applied another average 30% increase in the price of its DRAM products for the second quarter of 2026, according to a report published by ETNews. This move comes after a sharp price rise earlier this year and suggests that major memory makers are not, at least for now, buying into the idea of a broad market collapse.
The increase would affect different types of memory, including HBM for artificial intelligence, DRAM for servers, PCs, and smartphones. Using the example mentioned in the original report, a unit that cost 10,000 South Korean won at the start of 2025 would have risen to 20,000 won in the first quarter of 2026, and would now reach 26,000 won after this latest adjustment.
Samsung Raises DRAM Prices Again, Adding Pressure on Phone, PC, and Server Costs
What stands out is that Samsung may not be the only company moving in this direction. Market expectations suggest that SK hynix and Micron could follow the same path, which would further strengthen the upward trend across much of the memory business. This goes against the idea of a structural fall in DRAM prices, especially as segments tied to data centers and AI continue to maintain very strong demand.
That said, there are some important differences. Older DDR4 chips are still under price pressure, but this seems to be linked more to inventory clearances than to general weakness in the market. In fact, according to DRAMeXchange, the fixed contract price for 8 Gb DDR4 PC DRAM remained flat month over month at the end of March.
Beyond the short-term changes, the bigger issue remains the same: memory has become an increasingly expensive part of the total cost of many devices. In smartphones, for example, DRAM is already estimated to account for 35% of the bill of materials in some entry-level models, while NAND adds another 19%. Together, they now make up more than half of the total cost of the device.
The pressure is also expected to continue beyond 2026. According to SemiAnalysis, contract prices for LPDDR5 could rise sharply again in 2027, after already tripling since the beginning of 2025. In other words, the market remains heavily influenced by AI demand and the ability of major manufacturers to prioritize their most profitable segments, leaving both consumers and electronics makers facing a difficult situation.
