“RAMageddon” is the industry’s nickname for the AI-driven memory shortage pushing up gadget prices. Here is what it means for you.

AI data centres are buying memory chips at enormous scale. Alphabet and Meta alone plan $325-350 billion in 2026 spending, much of it on servers. That demand is steering chip factories toward AI-grade memory.

Phone makers are left competing for what remains. Apple, Google and Samsung have already raised flagship prices by about $100, according to GlobalData — and the report warns of further increases and fewer choices.

PC and laptop makers felt the squeeze first and raised prices earlier. Smartphones held out through long-term contracts until this summer’s launches broke the dam.

If you are planning a phone upgrade, buying sooner could save money. Prices are unlikely to fall while AI demand keeps climbing — and the iPhone Duo already tops $3,199.

Google and Samsung applied similar increases to their foldable phones. The GlobalData report is titled “AI-Driven RAMageddon Triggers First Wave of Smartphone Price Hikes – Further Increases and Fewer Choices Loom”.