TL;DR
- Nothing co-founder Carl Pei says RAM now costs more than the processor and display combined, making it the biggest hardware expense.
- Memory prices have surged in recent months as AI-driven demand continues to soak up global supply, pushing up smartphone manufacturing costs.
- According to Pei, the impact is already showing up in new launches, with some Android phones costing up to $100 more than their predecessors.
We’ve already been tracking what soaring RAM prices could mean for your next smartphone — from RAMageddon pushing flagship costs higher to newer Android launches creeping up in price. It’s largely fuelled by surging demand from AI-heavy computing workloads, and this is now affecting how much you pay for your next phone. That’s exactly the point Carl Pei, co-founder of Nothing, recently highlighted on X, putting a very real industry concern back into the spotlight.
​Â
