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Laptop Prices Have Passed the Point of No Return
Gizmodo • • general
Key Points:
- Laptop prices are expected to remain high well beyond 2025 due to rising DRAM and NAND memory costs, with Lenovo warning that prices may not improve even by 2030.
- Major memory suppliers Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix have shifted focus to high-bandwidth memory for AI data centers, limiting consumer-level DRAM supply and driving prices up.
- Micron has introduced long-term "strategic customer agreements" that lock buyers into paying high prices for memory through 2030, securing significant revenue growth for the company.
- Industry insiders, including Valve and Apple’s Tim Cook, express frustration over limited negotiation options and soaring memory costs that force higher prices onto consumers.
- Even if memory prices stabilize around 2028, laptop and gadget prices are unlikely to return to pre-2025 levels due to sustained supply constraints and market dynamics.
