NEW DELHI: Tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have increased laptop prices twice within a span of three months, as a global memory chip shortage continues to drive up production costs.

The price hikes—impacting popular line-ups such as Samsung’s Galaxy Book series and LG’s Gram models—have pushed overall laptop prices up by as much as 50% in some cases, according to industry reports.

The surge is being attributed to rising costs of key components, particularly DRAM and NAND memory, as demand from AI data centres diverts supply away from consumer electronics. This phenomenon, often referred to as “chipflation,” is forcing manufacturers to pass on increased costs to buyers.

Recent pricing trends highlight the sharp escalation. Samsung has raised prices of its latest Galaxy Book 6 series within weeks of launch, with some models seeing increases of up to $450, while LG has also implemented significant hikes across its Gram lineup.

Analysts warn that the trend is likely to continue through 2026, with laptop prices in markets like India expected to rise further due to sustained supply constraints and strong global demand for high-performance computing infrastructure.

The repeated price revisions are already beginning to impact consumer sentiment, particularly in price-sensitive markets, raising concerns over slowing demand in the personal computing segment.