Here’s how much more Xiaomi is currently paying for memory and storage | Infinium-tech

We keep hearing about the RAM/chip crisis that has arisen due to massive global investment in AI data centers, which is eating up the supply and driving prices skyrocketing in the process, but how much volume is actually involved for smartphone makers? How much more are they paying?

Xiaomi President Lu Weibing has revealed this on Weibo today. According to him, for the package of 12GB RAM plus 512GB storage, the company is now paying CNY 1,500 ($217) more than in the first quarter (January to March) of last year.

Redmi K90 Pro Max

It’s not $217 per RAM/storage package, it’s $217 More than before. And of course, this is complete madness. Moreover, what he is paying today is apparently almost four times more than what he will be paying in 2025.

By applying some quick math, we can figure out that last year, Xiaomi was paying around $72 for the same package, and the price it is actually paying today is around $288. This is the price of a low-medium phone!

So it will come as no surprise to you that Xiaomi has announced that it will have to make the Redmi K90 Pro Max more expensive from April 11, but just by CNY 200 ($29), which means the company is still swallowing most of the RAM/storage appreciation. It will also cancel the ongoing promo for Redmi Turbo 5 and Turbo 5 Max. All these increases apply only to the Chinese market, where the company has the lowest margins on Redmi devices.

It’s unclear whether we should expect further price increases internationally, but if RAM and storage module prices keep rising, it’s probably a matter of if, not if.

Source (in Chinese)