Storage products are not only used in data centers but also integrated into nearly all consumer electronics. The recent wave of price hikes in memory components has impacted multiple categories of electronic devices.

On November 3, the Product Marketing Director of Xiaomi Communications Technology Co. stated on Weibo that after reviewing the latest cost projections for next year, he found the situation "a bit shocking." Products using memory, especially PCs with larger memory capacities, are facing significant cost increases. Earlier, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also remarked on Weibo that memory prices have risen substantially.

The surge in storage prices is partly driven by AI computing consuming a large portion of production capacity. In May, DDR4 (a type of DRAM) led the price increases, followed by DDR5. Industry insiders note that while some electronics manufacturers can switch memory specifications, they ultimately must accept higher prices.

Amid strong AI demand and rising memory costs, several A-listed memory-related stocks recently hit record highs before experiencing volatility.

**Over a Month of Price Hikes** Many memory module prices began climbing sharply in September and have continued rising.

A Shenzhen Huaqiangbei vendor reported that memory chip prices started trending upward in August, affecting smartphone flash storage and causing daily price fluctuations. In August, an 8GB DDR4 module could be bought for under 90 yuan, but within a month, prices jumped to 100–130 yuan.

By October, the increases intensified. Vendors noted that a 16GB DDR4 module, priced around 200 yuan in late September, now sells for 350–520 yuan on major e-commerce platforms, while 16GB DDR5 modules have reached about 600 yuan.

Price trends on e-commerce platforms show steep climbs. According to Manmanbuy, a price comparison platform, the top 10 best-selling memory modules on JD.com have seen significant hikes, with some nearly doubling since September. For example: - A Lenovo 16GB DDR5 laptop memory, stable at ~300 yuan from May to early September, now costs 599 yuan. - A Samsung 16GB DDR5 module, priced at ~400 yuan in September, now sells for 738 yuan. - An Acer 48GB DDR5 module, once at 1,800 yuan in April, dropped to ~1,000 yuan in May but has since rebounded to 1,999 yuan.

DRAM chips (DDR4/DDR5) are key components in these modules. Data from Flashmarket on November 4 shows mainstream DRAM products rose 6%–25% week-over-week, with DDR4 16GB 3200 up 25% to $20. DDR5 24GB and 16GB modules also rose 20% to $24 and $12, respectively.

NAND flash memory, used in SSDs and embedded storage, is also spiking. A 156GB TLC NAND wafer now costs $4.50, up 28.57% weekly. This has pushed SSD prices higher—a ZhiTai 1TB SSD rose from 540 yuan in early October to 619 yuan, while a Samsung 1TB model increased from 599 yuan to 659 yuan.

**Supply Shortages Underpin Price Surge** Samsung Electronics reportedly halted October DDR5 contract pricing, prompting SK Hynix and Micron to follow, citing insufficient supply. This triggered a 25% spike in DDR5 spot prices within a week. Neither Samsung nor Micron directly confirmed the reports.

Analysts expect further increases. TrendForce predicts general DRAM (excluding HBM) will rise 8%–13% QoQ in Q4, while NAND Flash contracts may grow 5%–10%. Flashmarket forecasts continued server NAND price hikes in China.

**Shortages May Extend to 2027** The industry faces structural shortages. Simon Hu, GM of Silicon Motion (a major NAND controller supplier), noted AI-driven demand is causing a prolonged supply crunch.

Earlier, DDR4 shortages emerged as manufacturers shifted capacity to HBM for AI needs. Now, DDR5 and NAND are affected as cloud providers ramp up infrastructure, diverting production to server-grade DDR5 and straining SSD supplies.

Hu warned that DRAM/NAND shortages, initially estimated at 70%–80%, have doubled, with no relief expected until late 2027. Chen Li-bai, Chairman of ADATA, called the current across-the-board shortages "unprecedented" in his 30-year career, predicting severe tightness in Q4.

TrendForce’s Kevin Hsu expects DDR4 shortages to persist into Q1 2026, pushing PC OEMs toward DDR5 adoption while delaying DDR3-to-DDR4 transitions in TVs and networking devices.

Consumer electronics firms face challenges switching memory specs due to compatibility issues. For instance, LPDDR4X remains vital for mid-to-high-end smartphones, as upgrading requires processor support, leaving manufacturers little choice but to absorb higher costs.

**Stock Market Impact** Memory-related stocks recently hit record highs: - GigaDevice (246.95 yuan/share, Oct 28) - Longsys (283 yuan, Oct 30) - BIWIN (135.69 yuan, Oct 30) - Deming Micro (238 yuan, Nov 3) - Shannon Semiconductor (new high intraday)

As of today, BIWIN edged up 0.04%, Shannon rose 2.76%, while Longsys, GigaDevice, and Deming fell 1.69%, 3.77%, and 2.4%, respectively.