【By Guan Xin, Observer Columnist】

If you're planning to upgrade your phone or computer recently, you may find that the same configuration is now significantly more expensive than before. Mobile phone manufacturers such as OPPO, vivo, and Honor have raised prices for some models, while some Lenovo computers have also been reported to increase by over 1,000 yuan. The automotive industry is also under pressure, with the demand for memory capacity in smart cabins rising sharply, and cost pressures are being passed on to car prices.

The main driver behind this round of price hikes is a seemingly insignificant storage chip. In early 2026, the prices of DRAM (memory) and NAND Flash (flash memory) have both reached record highs in the past ten years, with some models seeing increases exceeding 300%. On the surface, it seems like a cyclical fluctuation, but in reality, it's a warning: when the "throat" of storage is controlled by others, the entire Chinese consumer electronics industry will be affected.

Storage chips are not ordinary components. They are the "warehouse" for AI training data, the "memory" of cloud computing centers, and the core hardware that enables smart cars and industrial internet. In short, on the global technology competition map, whoever controls storage holds the key to data access. However, the pricing power of this strategic market is still firmly held by South Korean and American giants such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. Together, these three companies account for over 95% of the global DRAM market, and they also hold a dominant advantage of more than 60% in the NAND Flash market.

The reasons behind this round of price hikes are not complicated. The explosive growth of AI computing infrastructure has made high-bandwidth memory (HBM) a hot commodity, and Samsung and Hynix have shifted their advanced production capacity to HBM, greatly squeezing the supply of consumer-grade storage. More worrying is that the timing of expanding production is still in the hands of these giants. Samsung Electronics has clearly stated that it will prioritize long-term profitability, SK Hynix remains "extremely cautious" about expanding production, and Micron's capacity ramp-up is expected to take until 2027. With supply controlled by the giants, and demand continuing to grow due to the large-scale application of AI inference, this structural imbalance means that price hikes are not a short-term pain, but could become the norm.

Global DRAM market share, by revenue Counterpoint

Chinese brands account for more than six out of ten of the global smartphone shipments and more than one-third of the global personal computer shipments. Some models even face the dilemma of "selling one unit and losing money on each." Meanwhile, consumers must bear higher costs. Fundamentally, this is because China's storage industry is still not strong enough and does not have control over pricing. When foreign giants slightly "cough," we all get "sick." This situation should end as soon as possible.

Happily, a turning point has already appeared. In the field of manufacturing hard drives, Yangtze Memory is fully advancing the R&D and design of next-generation flash memory chips, with the third phase of its Wuhan factory expected to be completed and put into operation this year; in the field of manufacturing memory modules, Longsys Memory's DDR5 and LPDDR5X products have already been unveiled, with performance approaching international mainstream levels. For the domestic storage industry, conditions such as capital, policy, and technical reserves have improved significantly compared to before, and what's missing is only production capacity. Once production capacity catches up, Chinese companies will surely have a place in the global storage market.

Some people might worry: Is it too late to start now? Let's look back at the development trajectory of the domestic panel industry. More than a decade ago, China was also deeply trapped in the "lack of chips and screens" dilemma, with liquid crystal TV panels completely dependent on imports, where half the cost of a TV was for the screen. It was precisely through the continuous investment of enterprises such as BOE and TCL Huaxing, along with the precise support of national policies, that China's liquid crystal display industry completed the journey from catching up, running alongside, to leading within a decade. Today, one out of every four screens in the world is "Made in China," and the capacity of liquid crystal panels accounts for about 70% of the global total. The breakthrough of domestic panels not only stabilized drastic price fluctuations but also provided a solid foundation for China's home appliance and mobile phone industries. The same logic can be replicated to storage chips.

Of course, emphasizing domestic breakthroughs does not mean isolationism or self-seclusion. The highly specialized nature of the global semiconductor industry dictates that open cooperation remains the mainstream. China remains an active participant and contributor to the global supply chain. However, from the perspective of technological autonomy and industrial security, mastering key core technologies in our own hands is entirely necessary and legitimate.

The price hike of storage chips is a mirror that reveals our weaknesses and shows the direction of breakthroughs. Although China's storage industry still has some shortcomings, such as fragmented industrial ecosystems and structural gaps between talent reserves and industry needs, under the guidance of national strategy, with the combined efforts of industry collaboration and the integration of industry, academia, and research, the breakthrough of domestic storage is not a matter of whether it can be achieved, but rather a goal that must be realized. When that day comes, the foundation of China's scientific and technological innovation will be more solid.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7618102902351069722/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.