Memory chip price increases impact CMF and Pine64

Rising memory component prices are creating significant challenges for both budget consumer electronics and the open-source hardware sector.

CMF, the budget brand under Nothing, utilizes a specific engineering strategy to maintain low costs, such as using MediaTek chips and replacing premium materials like glass and metal with plastic and more affordable protection technologies. However, Nothing has identified rising memory prices as a potential hurdle for future product iterations in 2026 and 2027.

In the open-source hardware space, the Pine64 team has announced a halt to the development of new Linux-based hardware. The team cited ongoing shortages and high costs for DRAM and Flash-based eMMC memory solutions as the primary reasons. Consequently, Pine64 will not introduce new Linux-based alternatives to mainstream notebooks, tablets, or smartphones until the market situation improves, potentially after mid-next year. Existing products like the PineNote and PineTab 2 are expected to sell out within the next three months.