Smartphone prices are unlikely to drop easily.

According to technology retailers in Ho Chi Minh City, the market continues to suffer from the prolonged impact of rising input costs such as RAM/ROM.

However, price increases vary across segments, brands, and product configurations.

Mr. Ly Trung Dung, Director of the Mobile Telecommunications and Accessories Division ofFPT Shop System, said that the group most significantly affected is the mainstream and mid-range product category, especially models with high RAM/ROM capacities such as 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB, or 12GB/512GB. For this group, the average selling price has increased by 15%-20% compared to the previous period, and some models or configurations may even see higher increases if supply is limited. For C-brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, Honor, and some other Chinese brands, the pressure to increase prices is also very significant.

To cope with rising prices, manufacturers are opting to reduce the configuration or features of their products to control costs and prevent them from increasing too much, for example, offering products with 4G/128G configurations instead of 8G/256G or 12G/512G. Alternatively, they are choosing to extend the lifespan of existing products instead of constantly launching new ones.

Samsung, on the other hand, has maintained its product launch schedule and kept price increases relatively low thanks to its economies of scale, supply chain, and broad product portfolio ranging from entry-level to high-end, allowing it to distribute the impact across multiple product lines. Apple, due to its longer product cycle, has not adjusted prices, or if it has, it has only reduced promotional programs.

Technology products are experiencing significant price increases across the board.

Besides the impact of rising input material costs, smartphone products are also affected by increased logistics and transportation costs due to rising fuel prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and increased interest expenses. Technology companies say they are still considering adjusting product prices because memory and component prices show no signs of stabilizing. Price adjustments need to be based on recalculating product portfolios, configurations, pricing policies, and allocation plans for each market. "Prices are unlikely to return to the levels of previous years in the near future and will continue to rise," predicted Mr. Ly Trung Dung.

Mr. Nguyen Lac Huy, representative of CellphoneS, also confirmed that the price increase trend started earlier when Apple raised the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max to 38 million VND in September 2025, an increase of about 10% compared to the stable price for the previous 3 years for this model. By early 2026, most major brands also simultaneously adjusted smartphone prices, such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra increasing from nearly 10% to nearly 17%, depending on the version; Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo phones increased from 4% to over 20% depending on the product code. The OPPO Find N6, in particular, recorded an increase of up to 44% compared to its previous generation.

Besides the root cause of semiconductor shortages, especially DRAM and NAND Flash memory chips, smartphone prices in Vietnam are also affected by several specific factors, resulting in a higher price increase margin compared to the Chinese market.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Van, Marketing Director of Di Dong Viet, observes that the smartphone market is gradually establishing a new price level, especially in the flagship and mid-range segments. While a few years ago, the market often saw significant direct price reductions, now manufacturers and dealers tend to combine various other forms of incentives to maintain stable prices, making products more accessible to consumers.

Technology experts analyze the reasons for the increase in smartphone prices as a combination of factors including technology, components, and global operating costs. In particular, the simultaneous integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into smartphones by manufacturers has driven up hardware specifications – from processors, RAM, and storage to cameras – leading to significantly higher production costs compared to before.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/gia-smartphone-khong-de-giam-196260530212312164.htm