The construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers could lead to a shortage of memory chips for smartphones and computers. As a result, consumer electronics prices will rise in 2026, the Financial Times (FT) reported.
Companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Open AI need high-throughput memory (HBM) chips to develop AI technologies. This demand has led chipmakers such as Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron to focus more resources on developing HBM than on consumer-oriented chips needed for computers and smartphones.
Morgan Stanley predicts that a significant increase in consumer electronics prices will occur as early as the first half of 2026.