Samsung is reportedly gearing up for another round of DRAM price increases in the third quarter of 2026. The company is currently holding discussions with its customers as the demand for memory chips continues to exceed supply across sectors including servers, smartphones, and AI systems.
Industry insiders indicate that Samsung aims to boost average DRAM selling prices by up to 20% compared to the previous quarter. Furthermore, LPDDR memory could witness an even more substantial increase of over 20%, driven by particularly limited supply.
This anticipated increase would mark Samsung’s third consecutive quarterly price hike. Earlier this year, the company raised average DRAM selling prices by more than 90% in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2025. During the second quarter, prices further climbed by an estimated 50% to 60%.
While this latest increase may not be as dramatic as those previously observed, buyers are unlikely to experience any significant price relief during the third quarter.
Memory Prices Continue to Rise
The current shortage of memory is not restricted to one particular type; it now encompasses standard server DRAM, high-bandwidth memory, and LPDDR chips. These are essential components used in smartphones, servers, lightweight laptops, and AI inference workloads.
For instance, a 12GB LPDDR5X module was priced around $120 at the end of the first quarter and early second quarter. Recently, its contract price has risen to approximately $145, reflecting an increase of $68.80 since the beginning of 2026. Notably, this price is nearly three times higher than what was recorded in early 2025.
Due to these escalating costs, manufacturers of smartphones, PCs, and servers may be forced to make tough choices. They could either raise retail prices, reduce memory configurations, or delay the launch of new products.
Interestingly, Samsung is experiencing more abrupt price fluctuations than its competitor SK Hynix. This is mainly because Samsung holds a larger share of the commodity DRAM market, which is more responsive to supply and demand changes. In contrast, SK Hynix benefits more from high-bandwidth memory sold through long-term contracts that provide more stable pricing, mitigating the effects of short-term market fluctuations.
As more manufacturers move towards long-term contracts, it’s possible that quarterly price increases across the memory industry could become less volatile. However, these agreements do set minimum prices, which means that memory prices may not revert to the lower levels seen in previous years.
Samsung and SK Hynix Expand Future Production
In an effort to satisfy the growing demand for memory chips, Samsung and SK Hynix plan to invest a staggering 800 trillion won, approximately $518 billion, in four new semiconductor plants located in southwestern South Korea.
The companies anticipate that these new facilities will enhance memory production capabilities as AI technologies continue to contribute to robust demand. However, the construction and expansion of these facilities are projected to take several years, meaning that the current supply shortage won’t be resolved immediately.
Until additional production capacity comes online, memory prices are expected to remain elevated, continuing to exert pressure on manufacturers of smartphones, computers, servers, and gaming devices across the market.
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