… These skyrocketing costs are associated with the AI/RAM crisis . The company claimed that storage costs were very high when it first unveiled the Next 2, adding that it was therefore already under “significant cost pressure.” However, it chose to open pre-orders and release it as planned. …
… The broader tech industry has been dealing with rising manufacturing costs, supply chain instability, and increased competition for components such as RAM and storage. The ongoing AI boom has only intensified that pressure. …
… Despite that, Google maintained the Pixel 9’s $799 price tag. Will the base Pixel 11 stay at $799? Ever-increasing memory and storage prices will add even more pressure than last year’s addition of a telephoto camera. …
… In fact, the company said pre-orders saw a double-digit increase over the Galaxy S25 series . “With cost pressures severe due to rising semiconductor prices and the increasing burden of logistics costs, the MX business unit has ultimately been forced to enter an emergency management system,” a Sams… …
… Of course, it’s not as accurate as something like the Huawei Watch D2 with an actual blood pressure mechanism built in, but even having estimates available throughout the day is genuinely useful. The Fitbit Air, once again, doesn’t offer anything similar. …
… The company’s also feeling increasing pressure from the huge expense of running modern AI systems. Heavy reasoning models, image generators, and video tools all take a lot of compute power, especially when millions of free users flood in at once. Infrastructure costs are increasing, as well. …
… But if memory prices remain under pressure, the unusually generous value we’ve seen in the $500 bracket over the past couple of years could become much harder for manufacturers to sustain. …
… LPDDR4 may not be cutting-edge, but it remains widely used, particularly at the lowest price points. And that’s exactly where the current crunch is now biting hardest. Budget devices are more exposed than flagships, simply because they have far less room to absorb rising component costs. …
… First, there’s the fact that LTE and 5G have been incredibly expensive additions that require constant investment and maintenance, which has helped drive up the cost of maintaining a mobile network. …
… To be clear, this is only one school district switching to Apple’s laptops right now, and Chromebooks still maintain a healthy presence across the education sector. …