A persistent memory supply shortage fueled by AI demand is putting upward pressure on smartphone prices from manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, Apple, and Xiaomi in the second half of the year, according to industry sources.
According to Odaily, Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z8 series, expected to launch this month, may see price increases depending on storage capacity. The 256GB base model is likely to remain at the previous generation's price of around 3.05 million won, while the 512GB and 1TB variants could see increases of approximately 120,000 won each.
The pricing approach aims to minimize the rise for the base model while prioritizing adjustments for higher-capacity devices that bear greater memory cost pressure.