Xiaomi Warns Flagship Phones May Top $1,400 as 12GB/512GB Memory Costs Nearly Quadruple
Updated
Updated · Gizchina.com · May 17
Xiaomi Warns Flagship Phones May Top $1,400 as 12GB/512GB Memory Costs Nearly Quadruple
3 articles · Updated · Gizchina.com · May 17
Xiaomi said some flagship phones in China may rise above $1,400, signaling a break from the value pricing that has helped define its premium lineup.
Lu Weibing said memory for a 12GB/512GB configuration now costs about 1,500 yuan more than a year ago, a nearly fourfold jump in sourcing costs.
That increase makes Xiaomi's usual pricing formula "impossible to maintain," with memory inflation emerging as the main pressure point on high-end handset pricing.
The warning points to broader cost strain in the smartphone supply chain, where component spikes can quickly feed through to retail prices for top-spec devices.
Beyond price hikes, how will the AI-driven memory crisis permanently reshape the phones we use?
With AI devouring memory chips, is the era of affordable high-spec smartphones officially over?