Samsung's top executives are preparing consumers for price hikes as a result of the memory chip shortage. TVs will most likely be affected too, they say.
DRAM and NAND prices have doubled or even tripled in the past 3–5 months, driven by AI-related demand that has diverted production away from consumer electronics. Further increases are expected in 2026.
You can thank AI slop on social media.
The shortage is now turning into a crisis that will affect everyone, Samsung warned from CES 2026 in Las Vegas. TV prices are also expected to rise, even though TVs do not use high-performance DRAM.
- "As this situation is unprecedented, no company is immune to its impact," TM Roh, Samsung co-CEO, told Reuters, adding that the crisis affects not only mobile phones but other consumer electronics, from TVs to home appliances.
How much more expensive?
For mass-produced consumer products, manufacturers typically operate under long-term supply contracts, and so far there have been no major price hikes for TVs. However, as contracts are renegotiated or new TV models are launched, price adjustments may follow.
- "There's going to be issues around semiconductor supplies, and it's going to affect everyone," Wonjin Lee, head of global marketing at Samsung, told Bloomberg. "Prices are going up even as we speak. Obviously, we don't want to convey that burden to the consumers, but we're going to be at a point where we have to actually consider repricing our products."
Market research firm Omdia warned on December 18, 2025, that DRAM prices for TVs had doubled compared to the first half of 2025. Obviously, DRAM is just one of many components going into a TV, with the display panel being the most expensive part.
TVs are already sold on razor-thin profit margins, particularly low-end and mid-range models, whereas high-end TVs have more room to absorb cost increases.
- Source: Reuters, Bloomberg
