The cost of computer hardware continues to rise, and Lenovo believes this trend will persist for a long time. The company's executive director, Martin Higl, stated during a speech at the ISC 2026 conference that prices for DRAM and NAND memory will "never" decrease again. The company later clarified that this was more of an emotional statement: it referred to market prospects over the next five years.
According to industry representatives, the main reason for the current price increase is the redistribution of production capacities among the largest memory manufacturers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. These companies have signed large-scale contracts with AI developers, which means a significant portion of the chips produced is directed to this segment. As a result, consumer electronics manufacturers face component shortages and rising procurement prices.
The consequences are already being felt across the market. Apple recently increased the cost of several of its devices, and Microsoft announced a new price hike for Xbox Series X/S consoles. Starting August 1, the Xbox Series S with 512GB storage will cost $499.99 instead of the previous $399.99. The digital version of the Xbox Series X will increase from $599.99 to $749.99, and the model with a disc drive will go from $649.99 to $799.99. Additionally, the Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black version will be discontinued.