Today's Article

The price tag of a new tablet or laptop may come as a surprise.

"The reason for that is the memory chip 2shortage, which we also think about as the RAM shortage. And that has everything to do with the memory chips that are stored in your phones or your devices."

And AI 3is to blame.

The 4proliferation of AI data centers has led to a 5surge 6in demand for memory chips used to quickly process information.

And chip makers can't 7keep up.

"Largely speaking, AI evolution has taken those chips, and now we are having to pay for the cost of it when we think about buying new devices."

Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo have recently 8hiked prices on a range of devices, with gaming consoles, tablets, and laptops most affected.

Smartwatches and wireless earbuds less impacted because they don't need as much storage.

Dashia Milden, senior consumer insights editor for CNET, says consumers looking to save on 9refurbished tech may not get too much relief right now.

"Refurbished tech can also increase in price, even though it is a used or maybe 10secondhand device because of the demand. So you're not going to pay, of course, full price; you'll pay a 11fraction, but you shouldn't expect the same prices that you saw last year."

As to when the chip 12crunch might end, analysts say because it takes time to build new plants, supply may be squeezed until at least 2028.

And even then, prices may not return to 13pre-shortage levels.