Which models are affected?

The reported price hike covers nearly the entire premium Galaxy range currently in channel :

• Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra — across all storage configurations
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — the flagship foldables
• Galaxy S25 FE and previous-generation Galaxy S models still being sold

Higher-capacity storage tiers bear the brunt of the increase. Variants with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of internal storage will jump the most, with many climbing the full €100–€200 .

This European move comes after Samsung already raised prices on select devices in other markets earlier in 2026. In the US, higher-storage variants of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Galaxy S25 Edge jumped by $40–$80 . In South Korea, the same models rose by KRW 100,000–200,000 (~€70–€140) .

The real driver: a structural memory shortage fueled by AI

Smartphones aren't getting more expensive because of inflation or greed—the root cause is deeper and more stubborn. The global semiconductor industry is living through what analysts call a "memory supercycle" or—less formally—"RAMmageddon". The core dynamic is simple: AI data centers are consuming a massive and growing share of the world's advanced DRAM production, and consumer electronics are being squeezed out.

• HBM is priority. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have reallocated advanced fabrication capacity to produce High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI servers. HBM is sold out through 2026, and the three-to-one wafer trade-off between HBM and standard DDR5 means every wafer diverted to HBM removes three wafers' worth of commodity DRAM from the market .
• Prices have already exploded. DRAM spot prices surged over 50% in Q1 2026 alone, after climbing well over 100% throughout 2025 . For smartphone manufacturers specifically, memory chip costs jumped 80–90% in the first three months of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research . By April, Samsung was reported to have raised DRAM prices another 30% for Q2 .
• The shortage is structural, not cyclical. Unlike previous boom-and-bust memory cycles, this one is being driven by a permanent shift in demand from AI infrastructure. The three major manufacturers continue to prioritize server-grade DRAM and HBM, structurally limiting supply for consumer electronics and extending the supercycle's impact .
• Samsung executives have said it out loud. Samsung's mobile chief Won-Joon Choi confirmed in an April 2026 interview that RAM shortages made a "significant contribution" to the Galaxy S26's $100 price increase . Months earlier, at CES 2026, Samsung President Wonjin Lee warned that memory chip shortages "will affect everyone," and Samsung itself expected to "consider repricing our products" .

The rest of the industry is already passing the cost on

Samsung isn't navigating this alone. The memory shortage is an industry-wide reality, and competitors have already moved.

Xiaomi was one of the first to sound the alarm. President Lu Weibing warned in November 2025 that the memory chip crunch would force smartphone prices higher in 2026, describing it as potentially "longer and more severe" than past cycles . Xiaomi secured its full-year memory supply but confirmed that component costs—which have quadrupled in some segments—would flow through to retail pricing . By early 2026, the company was paying roughly CNY 1,500 (~$220) more for a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration than it did in Q1 2025 .

OPPO and Vivo raised prices across both new and existing models in early 2026, citing a "sharp and sustained increase" in memory chip costs that increased the bill of materials by 11–25%, with retail prices expected to rise $30–$200 .

Motorola hasn't been singled out with its own price announcement in any major reporting. However, the cost pressure is universal: IDC research director Nabila Popal estimated the memory shortage will push the average smartphone retail price up 14% globally in 2026, to a record $523 . The crunch is squeezing everyone from premium giants to low-end vendors, with multiple Chinese manufacturers suspending new product releases entirely .

For anyone holding off on a Galaxy purchase, the market direction is unambiguous. June 2026 is shaping up to be the moment Europe's flagship phone prices fully reflect a memory shortage that has been building since late 2024—and that still has no clear end in sight.

Which models are affected?

The reported price hike covers nearly the entire premium Galaxy range currently in channel :

• Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra — across all storage configurations
• Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — the flagship foldables
• Galaxy S25 FE and previous-generation Galaxy S models still being sold

Higher-capacity storage tiers bear the brunt of the increase. Variants with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of internal storage will jump the most, with many climbing the full €100–€200 .

This European move comes after Samsung already raised prices on select devices in other markets earlier in 2026. In the US, higher-storage variants of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Galaxy S25 Edge jumped by $40–$80 . In South Korea, the same models rose by KRW 100,000–200,000 (~€70–€140) .

The real driver: a structural memory shortage fueled by AI

Smartphones aren't getting more expensive because of inflation or greed—the root cause is deeper and more stubborn. The global semiconductor industry is living through what analysts call a "memory supercycle" or—less formally—"RAMmageddon". The core dynamic is simple: AI data centers are consuming a massive and growing share of the world's advanced DRAM production, and consumer electronics are being squeezed out.

• HBM is priority. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have reallocated advanced fabrication capacity to produce High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI servers. HBM is sold out through 2026, and the three-to-one wafer trade-off between HBM and standard DDR5 means every wafer diverted to HBM removes three wafers' worth of commodity DRAM from the market .
• Prices have already exploded. DRAM spot prices surged over 50% in Q1 2026 alone, after climbing well over 100% throughout 2025 . For smartphone manufacturers specifically, memory chip costs jumped 80–90% in the first three months of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research . By April, Samsung was reported to have raised DRAM prices another 30% for Q2 .
• The shortage is structural, not cyclical. Unlike previous boom-and-bust memory cycles, this one is being driven by a permanent shift in demand from AI infrastructure. The three major manufacturers continue to prioritize server-grade DRAM and HBM, structurally limiting supply for consumer electronics and extending the supercycle's impact .
• Samsung executives have said it out loud. Samsung's mobile chief Won-Joon Choi confirmed in an April 2026 interview that RAM shortages made a "significant contribution" to the Galaxy S26's $100 price increase . Months earlier, at CES 2026, Samsung President Wonjin Lee warned that memory chip shortages "will affect everyone," and Samsung itself expected to "consider repricing our products" .

The rest of the industry is already passing the cost on

Samsung isn't navigating this alone. The memory shortage is an industry-wide reality, and competitors have already moved.

Xiaomi was one of the first to sound the alarm. President Lu Weibing warned in November 2025 that the memory chip crunch would force smartphone prices higher in 2026, describing it as potentially "longer and more severe" than past cycles . Xiaomi secured its full-year memory supply but confirmed that component costs—which have quadrupled in some segments—would flow through to retail pricing . By early 2026, the company was paying roughly CNY 1,500 (~$220) more for a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration than it did in Q1 2025 .

OPPO and Vivo raised prices across both new and existing models in early 2026, citing a "sharp and sustained increase" in memory chip costs that increased the bill of materials by 11–25%, with retail prices expected to rise $30–$200 .

Motorola hasn't been singled out with its own price announcement in any major reporting. However, the cost pressure is universal: IDC research director Nabila Popal estimated the memory shortage will push the average smartphone retail price up 14% globally in 2026, to a record $523 . The crunch is squeezing everyone from premium giants to low-end vendors, with multiple Chinese manufacturers suspending new product releases entirely .

For anyone holding off on a Galaxy purchase, the market direction is unambiguous. June 2026 is shaping up to be the moment Europe's flagship phone prices fully reflect a memory shortage that has been building since late 2024—and that still has no clear end in sight.