- New models released after March are expected to see price increases of at least RMB 1,000 ($146).
- Existing models already on the market will also undergo price reassessment.
Driven by soaring costs of upstream memory chips and AI demand squeezing supply chains, China's smartphone market faces unprecedented pricing pressures.
Starting in March, major Chinese phone makers including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor will accelerate retail price increases, Sina Tech reported Thursday citing multiple industry sources.
New smartphone models released after March are projected to see price hikes of at least RMB 1,000 ($146), with some mid-to-high-end flagship models potentially increasing by RMB 2,000 to 3,000.
Additionally, existing models already on the market will also face price reassessments, according to Sina Tech.
The core driver behind this rare, widespread price hike lies in the sharp volatility of DRAM and NAND Flash memory prices.
With explosive growth in global AI server demand, smartphone memory chip production capacity has been severely squeezed, leading to structural shortages.
According to TrendForce data, spot prices for mobile storage chips have surged over 300% cumulatively in the past three months.
Counterpoint Research projected in a February 22 report that driven by steep price hikes in the Chinese market, the global average selling price (ASP) of smartphones will rise 6.9% year-on-year in 2026, as noted by Sina Tech.
The current memory price fluctuation cycle has shortened to an extreme historical low, with some months seeing multiple price adjustments, the report cited industry insiders as saying.
This implies that China's smartphone market in 2026 will break from the traditional "one-time pricing" business practice, facing unprecedented turbulence with multiple price hikes within a single year.
($1 = RMB 6.8410)
