Consumer memory and storage prices rose sharply during the second quarter of 2026 as persistent shortages continued to affect components used in smartphones, PCs, and other electronics.

Data from market research firm Sigmaintell shows that some DRAM prices increased by as much as 89 percent compared with the first quarter. Prices for certain storage components more than doubled during the same period.

The increases follow an already expensive first quarter and could lead to further price hikes for laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and other consumer devices.

The average price of a 16Gb, or 2GB, DRAM component increased from $19.20 in the first quarter to $28.50 in the second quarter. This represents a rise of around 49 percent.

The reported price of a 16GB DDR4 product increased by 51 percent, climbing from $137 to $207.10.

These prices were already elevated during the first quarter because of shortages that began during the second half of 2025.

DDR5 products were not included in the report, although their prices have also increased during the wider memory shortage.

Low-power memory used in smartphones and other portable devices recorded even larger increases.

The price of a 32Gb, or 4GB, LPDDR component rose by 75 percent, increasing from $26.20 to $45.90.

A 96Gb, or 12GB, LPDDR5X component increased from $77.10 to $145.90. This represents an 89 percent quarter-on-quarter increase, the largest rise among the DRAM products listed in the report.

Prices also increased sharply across SSD and embedded storage products.

A 512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD increased by 54 percent to $126.30 during the second quarter.

The price of 256GB UFS 3.1 storage climbed by 103 percent, rising from $31 to $62.70.

A 16GB eMMC 5.1 component increased by 69 percent, from $13.40 to $22.60.

The largest overall rise affected uMCP storage and memory packages. Their reported price increased by 107 percent, from $72.50 to $150.40.

These components are widely used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other consumer electronics.

Manufacturers have already increased the prices of laptops and smartphones as the cost of memory and storage continues to rise.

Gaming consoles have also become more expensive, while Valve’s recent Steam Machine faced criticism over pricing, partly linked to higher component costs.

A 16GB DDR4 kit previously sold for around $60 to $70, while comparable DDR5 products were widely available for between $90 and $100. Some products are now selling for two to three times their previous prices.

The same trend is affecting SSDs. A 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD that previously cost around $70 to $80 can now sell for between $130 and $150, even when discounted.

Memory manufacturers have allocated more production capacity to high-value products such as high-bandwidth memory, server DRAM, and enterprise SSDs.

These components are in strong demand from AI data centres and cloud providers, leaving less production capacity available for consumer DRAM and storage products.

The shift has tightened supplies of DDR, LPDDR, NAND flash, and other components used in mainstream electronics.

Some reports suggest manufacturers could increase general-purpose DRAM production after earning strong returns from HBM. However, any production changes are unlikely to provide immediate relief.

The current shortage could continue until 2028, meaning memory and storage prices may remain high or increase further.

The best-case scenario may be for prices to remain at their current levels rather than fall significantly.

Continued increases in memory and storage costs are also likely to keep pressure on the prices of PCs, smartphones, and other consumer devices.

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