Oppo to raise smartphone prices on higher memory costs

Oppo, a Chinese smartphone maker, will raise prices on several smartphone models on March 16 due to higher costs for components including high-speed storage.

The change covers select A and K series models and OnePlus devices.

Other Chinese brands including Vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO, and Honor are reportedly planning price hikes from March with increases expected on some upcoming models.

Counterpoint Research said average prices of newly released smartphones in China could rise 15%–25% versus comparable 2025 models after March.

China’s NDRC Price Monitoring Center reported DRAM and NAND prices recently hit multi-year highs in January 2026, and Samsung and SK Hynix warned DRAM costs may rise again in Q2 2026.

IDC said memory now accounts for a larger share of smartphone production costs.

🔗 Source: Pandaily

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

The AI infrastructure boom is indirectly fueling smartphone price hikes

AI data centers are taking a larger share of memory supply, which tightens availability for phones and lifts component prices 1.
Memory makers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are leaning into higher-margin server DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which leaves fewer chips for PCs, smartphones, and other non-server buyers 1.
Delivery waits have stretched, with LPDDR5X (a type of mobile DRAM used in newer phones) reaching lead times of up to 39 weeks 2.
Supply chain sources put smartphone memory procurement costs at more than 80% above a year earlier 3.

Rising component costs are pushing Chinese smartphone brands to rethink product lineups

Persistent cost pressure is nudging Chinese brands to reshape product mixes rather than leaning on low-cost models for scale, Yicai reported citing an Omdia analyst 4.
Some companies are moving upmarket, with Honor targeting the $300–$500 range overseas while Xiaomi increases the share of mid-to-high-end devices 4.
Budget phones under $100 face the tightest pricing stress, an Omdia analyst told Yicai 4.
In emerging markets, Shenzhen Transsion Holdings (a phone maker known for its Tecno, Infinix, and Itel brands) is using installment payment options to lower upfront cost barriers 4.
In extreme cases, price swings have pushed some manufacturers to pause new product launches 5.