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AI chipmakers raise prices amid global HBM memory shortage
A global shortage of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), driven by surging demand for AI infrastructure, is causing significant price increases across the semiconductor and consumer electronics sectors.
In China, AI chipmakers including Huawei, Cambricon, MetaX, and Iluvatar CoreX have raised prices for current and upcoming processors by 20% to 50%. Huawei’s Ascend 950DT accelerator is now priced at over 250,000 yuan (approximately $37,000). These hikes are partly due to US export restrictions, which have forced Chinese firms to rely on more expensive grey-market channels for advanced memory components.
The memory market is dominated by SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Micron Technology. The scarcity of HBM is also impacting the broader hardware market, with reports suggesting potential price increases for NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, as well as rising costs for consumer CPUs and gaming consoles as manufacturers like AMD look to pass on higher wafer costs.
Consumer electronics are also feeling the pressure. In Europe, Samsung has increased prices for its upcoming Galaxy Tab S12 series due to rising memory costs. In the smartphone market, rising DRAM and NAND costs are contributing to higher retail prices and shifting consumer demand toward more expensive models in certain regions.
Entities
Cambricon · Counterpoint Research · Huawei · Huawei Technologies · India · Micron Technology · Nvidia · Oppo · SK Hynix · Samsung · Samsung Electronics
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Average smartphone prices increased by 15% by the end of the second quarter. www.thecore.in
- [● 6 SOURCES] Chinese AI chipmakers including Huawei, Cambricon, MetaX, and Iluvatar CoreX have raised prices for AI accelerators. itreseller.pl · stratnewsglobal.com · cafef.vn · www.merca2.es · www.techcentral.ie · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Cambricon increased the price of its upcoming 690 chip by 20% to 30%. itreseller.pl · stratnewsglobal.com · cafef.vn · www.merca2.es · www.techcentral.ie · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AMD intends to pass increased wafer costs on to its customers, which may impact CPU and console pricing. www.xboxdynasty.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Smartphone prices in India surged by 21% in 2026, the highest increase globally. www.latestly.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] The global shortage of memory chips is driven by a structural shift of production capacity toward AI infrastructure. www.thecore.in · www.fragster.de · itreseller.pl · stratnewsglobal.com · www.elperiodico.digital · +3 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Huawei's Ascend 950DT accelerator is priced at over 250,000 yuan (approximately $37,000). itreseller.pl · stratnewsglobal.com · cafef.vn · www.merca2.es · www.techcentral.ie · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Smartphone shipments in India are projected to decline by over 15% in the second half of 2026. www.thecore.in