The sharp rise in memory prices has driven up PC and smartphone prices, increasing household spending. At the same time, expanding AI demand has tightened supply and demand in the memory market, and the impact is spreading to peripherals and the resale market against a backdrop of rising manufacturer profits.
The lowest price in Akihabara for desktop DDR5 memory is approximately ¥29,800 for a single 16GB module and approximately ¥61,480 for a two-module 16GB kit, while DDR4-generation products have also reached price-increase levels. The average PC selling price was approximately ¥139,821 in April 2026, a sharp increase from the same period a year earlier. As of June 2026, shipments had fallen sharply to 962,000 units, or 67.7% of the level in the same month a year earlier, as weaker demand coincided with a pullback in replacement demand. In the smartphone market, prices for new models have risen significantly, with the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro remaining high at ¥219,800 and the 1TB model at ¥324,800.
The impact is also spreading to peripherals. In August, Buffalo raised prices by between 5.8% and 42.5% on a total of 105 product models, including external HDDs, NAS devices and routers. Fujifilm is considering raising camera prices overseas, indicating that soaring memory costs are affecting the cost structure of digital equipment as a whole. This pass-through of higher costs is contributing to the rising inflation burden on households.
From a technology investment perspective, TrendForce forecasts that tight DRAM supply and demand will continue through 2027, while NAND is expected to ease in the second half of 2027. Although increased capital investment by major cloud service providers and the commercialisation of AI agents are driving demand for data centres, weakness in consumer demand has also been observed, suggesting that the peak of price increases may be passing. Investors should closely monitor spot and contract prices for DRAM and NAND, factory start-up schedules, and earnings trends at major manufacturers.