‘RAMageddon’: is the era of cheap phones and laptops over?
TL;DR
Bargains are disappearing and the cost of gadgets such as MacBooks and PS5s is rising as AI competes for memory chips The end of the cheap laptop, the bargain phone and affordable games consoles may be on the horizon. Not because new models are more hi-tech, but because the cost of computer components has shot up.
Nauti's Take
Rising hardware prices are a real catch for consumers — cheap devices are vanishing and the AI boom is driving up memory chip costs worldwide. The opportunity inside: manufacturers may finally focus on durability and repairability instead of cheap upgrade cycles, because price pressure forces a different kind of differentiation.
Anyone planning a purchase should buy now or look at solid refurbished options, because the next wave will be more expensive.
Summary
Bargains are disappearing and the cost of gadgets such as MacBooks and PS5s is rising as AI competes for memory chips The end of the cheap laptop, the bargain phone and affordable games consoles may be on the horizon. Not because new models are more hi-tech, but because the cost of computer components has shot up.
Recently, the biggest manufacturers of laptops and phones, including Microsoft, Samsung and Dell, started putting up prices and pulling cheaper models – which is going to make finding budget phones and laptops under £400 much harder. Continue reading...
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