Samsung and Google raise budget phone prices amid the RAM shortage

Samsung and Google both raised prices on their budget smartphones this week, likely because of the RAM shortage that no tech company seems able to escape. Google's Pixel 10a now costs $100 more: it debuted at $499 in March and sells for $599 today. In Canada the increase is steeper, with the phone going from $679 to $849.

Samsung's A series climbs $30 to $70

Samsung raised prices across its entire Galaxy A lineup, its second hike of the week. The Galaxy A17 5G went from $200 to $270, the A27 5G from $350 to $380, the A37 5G from $450 to $490 and the A57 5G from $550 to $600. In total, the A series now costs $30 to $70 more than before.

Galaxy S26 prices climb too

On October 1, Samsung raised prices on the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra by at least $100. The base S26 with 256GB of storage now runs $1,000, which is $200 more than its Galaxy S25 equivalent. The 512GB model costs $1,200, while the S26+ goes for $1,200 (256GB) and $1,400 (512GB). The S26 Ultra costs $1,400, $1,600 or $2,000 depending on storage, with the 1TB variant up by $200 and the others by $100. The only current model spared was the S26 FE, released about a month ago.

Why prices keep rising

The hikes reflect soaring memory and storage costs. Samsung's mobile division posted its first-ever quarterly loss for the April-June period, which the company attributed to rising prices for components like RAM and storage. Samsung's chip division, by contrast, helped push the company to record quarterly revenue and operating profit.

Relief is unlikely soon. The best-case scenario has RAM supply improving within a year as Chinese production grows, while the more pessimistic outlook sees higher prices lasting through 2030. Reports also suggest Samsung may charge even more for storage upgrades in the upcoming Galaxy S27 lineup. For shoppers after an affordable phone, a used device increasingly looks like the only option.

Sources: Engadget · Engadget