Price Chaos Sparks Wave of Delayed Launches — Experts Warn Memory Price Surge Could Last a Decade

Fast Technology reported on November 16 that memory and hard-drive prices have surged sharply in recent weeks, driven primarily by skyrocketing demand for AI infrastructure.

According to Hardwareluxx, several major manufacturers have pushed back the release of new memory kits from the originally planned second half of 2025 to 2026, hoping to observe how tightening supply will influence market prices.

The report highlights that popular memory kits from brands such as Corsair and TeamGroup have already seen significant price increases. Multiple module makers have confirmed they will not launch their previously scheduled new products in the third and fourth quarters of 2025.

Instead, these companies are choosing to hold back new releases while monitoring price trends into 2026. However, they have not disclosed which specific products are being delayed.

Industry experts warn that if the current supply-demand imbalance continues, the wave of soaring memory prices could last an entire decade.

The shortage and price surge are already affecting consumers worldwide. In Japan, some retailers have begun imposing purchase limits due to insufficient supply.

The smartphone industry is also feeling the impact. Xiaomi has issued an alert stating that rising memory costs may force an increase in smartphone prices.

At the manufacturing level, memory producers are shifting DRAM production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to satisfy the explosive needs of the AI sector.

Because major DRAM makers also produce NAND flash, and much of their capacity is currently prioritized for AI-driven HBM, NAND supply for SSDs, memory cards, and other storage devices may also face growing shortages.