Rising memory component costs push several brands to hike prices on select handsets by up to Rs 7,000
Just days after Apple raised prices on several MacBook and iPad models in India, smartphone makers Nothing, Vivo and Realme have followed suit, revising prices on select handsets with increases ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,000. The changes reflect a broader shift across the consumer electronics industry, where manufacturers are increasingly passing higher component costs on to buyers, with industry executives pointing to a sharp rise in memory component prices, particularly RAM and storage, fueled by surging demand from AI infrastructure.
Vivo Leads With Broadest Hikes
Vivo has made considerable adjustments to its price lists across all of its model series: X, V, T, and Y series. The steepest price increase among Vivo smartphones is for the Vivo X300 FE, which comes in two options (12 GB & 256 GB and 12 GB & 512 GB). With both of these options now costing an additional Rs. 7000 more than previously priced. Vivo V70 FE, T5x, T4 Lite, and other Y-series models have seen price increases of Rs. 2,000–Rs. 5,000.
Nothing and Realme Also Adjust
Nothing has raised prices on its Phone 4a series by up to Rs 4,000, with the base 8GB+128GB variant now selling for Rs 39,999, up from Rs 37,999, alongside similar increases for higher-storage versions. Realme has taken a mixed approach: prices for the Realme 16 and Realme 16 Pro Plus have gone up by as much as Rs 4,000, while the Realme 16 Pro has actually gotten cheaper, with select variants dropping by up to Rs 3,000.
No Official Word Yet
While none of the manufacturers have formally issued any announcements regarding the upper price adjustments, the updated pricing can be viewed on various online platforms and at retail stores. These price adjustments come on the heels of a slew of similar price adjustments made by other consumer electronic companies in recent weeks; as the price of components continues to increase throughout the industry, there could also be an additional increase in price as many manufacturers continue to deal with the on-going memory shortages.
