The ‘AI Tax’ is Here: Full Smartphone Price Hike List
Summary
- AI and ongoing chip shortage has made smartphones more expensive than before
- It has affected all brands including Poco, Oppo,Vivo, iQOO and more.
- Here is a comprehensive list of all the smartphones affected by the price hike.
Are you in the market for a new smartphone? Well, you are out of luck as the AI has made literally every phone out there expensive. Since AI centres require a lot of storage and memory, this resulted in artifical chip shortage ultimately affecting smartphone prices. With key components like RAM and storage getting affected by the crisis, phone prices have surged across the board. Whether you are looking to buy a budget phone or a flagship, the price hike seems to have affected all of them. So if you are looking to buy a new smartphone, this smartphone price hike list will prepare your wallet for the pricey purchase.
Brand Wise List Of All Smartphone Price List:
It’s not just flagships, as budget phones are also getting affected by the ongoing price hike. Here is a list of all the smartphone brands and their models that have seen a price hike:
Samsung Smartphone Price Hike List
Samsung is one of the few smartphone brands that offers a phone in each price segment. But it has hiked prices for its mid-range phones, especially the A, M and F series which are exclusive to the Indian market. Here is the revised pricing for Samsung smartphones after the price hike:
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Samsung Galaxy A06 5G | ₹10,499 | ₹12,999 | ₹2,500 |
| Samsung Galaxy M17 5G | ₹12,499 | ₹14,290 | ₹1,761 |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | ₹18,999 | ₹19,499 | ₹500 |
| Samsung Galaxy A36 5G | ₹35,499 | ₹36,499 | ₹1,000 |
| Samsung Galaxy A56 5G | ₹43,999 | ₹44,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Samsung Galaxy F17 5G | ₹14,499 | ₹16,999 | ₹2,500 |
| Samsung Galaxy F36 | ₹17,499 | ₹19,999 | ₹2,500 |
Realme Phones Price Hike List
Realme seems to be heavily impacted by the AI and chip shortage crisis resulting in hikes for older as well as newer phone models. Even the recently launched Realme 16 Pro series is getting a price hike apart from the company’s older models. Here is the pricing for Realme smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Realme 15 5G | ₹25,999 | ₹28,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Realme 15x | ₹16,999 | ₹17,499 | ₹1,500 |
| Realme 15T | ₹20,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹2,000 |
| Realme P3 Lite | ₹11,999 | ₹12,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Realme 16 Pro 5G | ₹31,999 | ₹34,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Realme 16 Pro+ 5G | ₹39,999 | ₹43,999 | ₹4,000 |
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iQOO Smartphone Price Hike List
Vivo’s sub brand, iQOO has also been affected by the chip shortage caused by AI datacentres. While the company has been known for its aggressive smartphone prices, it also had to increase the prices across its lineup. The iQOO Z and the Neo series have seen surge in pricing. That being said, here is the pricing for iQOO smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| iQOO Z10x | ₹13,499 | ₹14,999 | ₹1,500 |
| iQOO Z10 Lite | ₹9,999 | ₹11,999 | ₹2,000 |
| iQOO Z10 | ₹21,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹1,000 |
| iQOO Z10R | ₹19.499 | ₹20,999 | ₹1,500 |
| iQOO Neo 10R | ₹26,999 | ₹28,999 | ₹2,000 |
| iQOO Neo 10 | ₹31,499 | ₹34,999 | ₹3,500 |
Xiaomi Smartphones Price Hike List
Unlike other smartphone brands, Xiaomi has not hiked the prices for its phones. In fact, only three phones in the Redmi lineup remain affected and those cater to the sub ₹25K smartphone market. Here is the pricing for Xiaomi smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Redmi A5 | ₹6,499 | ₹7,999 | ₹1,500 |
| Redmi 15 | ₹14,999 | ₹15,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Redmi Note 15 5G | ₹19,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹3,000 |
Poco Smartphones Price Hike List
Interestingly, Xiaomi’s sub brand Poco has hiked the prices for its mid-range and entry level phones while it’s parent company remains unaffected. Even the “flagship killer”, Poco F7 has got a massive hike of ₹4,000 catapulting it into the sub ₹40K segment. Here is the pricing for Poco smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Poco F7 | ₹31,999 | ₹35,999 | ₹4,000 |
| Poco M7 | ₹10,499 | ₹12,499 | ₹2,000 |
| Poco M7 Plus 5G | ₹12,999 | ₹13,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Poco C75 5G | ₹8,499 | ₹10,999 | ₹2,500 |
| Poco C85 5G | ₹11,999 | ₹12,999 | ₹1,000 |
Nothing And CMF Smartphones Price Hike List
If you were hoping that a newcomer like Nothing would be spared from the ongoing chip shortage, you are wrong! While the company hasn’t hiked prices for its flagship Phone (3), some mid-range offerings like the recent Phone (3a) Lite remain affected. Even the budget friendly CMF Phone (2) Pro seems to have received an hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | ₹20,999 | ₹21,999 | ₹1,000 |
OnePlus Smartphones Price Hike List
So far OnePlus has only hiked the price of its mid-range, Nord 5. With Nord 6 launch just around the corner, we could see a reduction in price. However, some rumours suggest that Nord 6 could be priced higher than its predecessor. Furthermore, the OnePlus 15R could receive a price hike of ₹4,000 but nothing is official yet.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| OnePlus Nord 5 | ₹29,999 | ₹33,999 | ₹4,000 |
Oppo Smartphone Price Hike List
After Samsung, it’s Oppo who has a vast portfolio of devices targeting consumers across several price brackets. With the company catering to both online and offline consumers, an impending price hike was a question of when rather than if. The price hike has affected the premium Reno 15 series as well as budget devices in the K series. Here is the pricing for Oppo smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini | ₹59,999 | ₹62,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Oppo Reno 15 Pro | ₹67,999 | ₹69,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Oppo A6 Pro | ₹21,999 | ₹25,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Oppo A6X 5G | ₹12,499 | ₹14,999 | ₹2,500 |
| Oppo Reno 15C | ₹34,999 | ₹37,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Oppo F31 | ₹22,999 | ₹26,999 | ₹4,000 |
| Oppo F31 Pro 5G | ₹26,999 | ₹27,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Oppo Reno 14 | ₹37,999 | ₹42,999 | ₹5,000 |
| Oppo Reno 14 Pro | ₹49,999 | ₹54,999 | ₹5,000 |
| Oppo A6 5G | ₹17,999 | ₹19,999 | ₹2,000 |
| Oppo K13 5G | ₹17,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹5,000 |
| Oppo K13x 5G | ₹11,999 | ₹12,499 | ₹500 |
Vivo Smartphone Price Hike List
Vivo has been at the forefront of price hikes with multiple price hikes across its range. Since its portfolio caters to a wide range of audience, budget models in the Vivo T and Y series are affected. If you are looking for a sub 25K Vivo phone, these are prices you will need to pay after the hikes:
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Vivo T4x | ₹13,999 | ₹16,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Vivo T4R | ₹17,499 | ₹22,999 | ₹5,500 |
| Vivo T4 | ₹21,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Vivo T4 Lite | ₹9,999 | ₹11,999 | ₹2,000 |
| Vivo Y400 | ₹21,999 | ₹22,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Vivo Y19e | ₹7,999 | ₹10,999 | ₹3,000 |
| Vivo Y19s | ₹10,999 | ₹13,499 | ₹3,000 |
| Vivo Y31 | ₹14,999 | ₹18,999 | ₹4,000 |
| Vivo Y31 Pro | ₹18,999 | ₹19,999 | ₹1,000 |
Lava Phone Price Hike List
If you thought Lava being an Indian brand could avoid the price hikes, you are wrong! While the company has not increased prices for its Agni series, entry level models like the Shark and Play series remain affected even though they don’t have any AI features to offer. That being said, here is the pricing for Lava smartphones after the price hike.
| Model | Launch Price | New Price After Hike (INR) | Hike Amount (INR) |
| Lava Shark 5G | ₹9,499 | ₹10,499 | ₹1,000 |
| Lava Play Max | ₹13,999 | ₹14,999 | ₹1,000 |
| Lava Yuva Star 3 | ₹7,599 | ₹8,299 | ₹700 |
| Lava Shark 2 4G | ₹8,099 | ₹8,699 | ₹600 |
| Lava Blaze Duo 3 | ₹17,499 | ₹17,999 | ₹500 |
Why Are Phones Becoming Expensive?
The main reason why phones are getting expensive is Artificial Intelligence (AI). The data centres required to run AI have skyrocketed the demand for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM). These chips are produced by three companies: Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix. Micron is shutting down its 29 year old consumer-focussed Crucial brand. Samsung and SK Hynix have reassigned significant portions of their fabrication lines to cater to this massive demand.
This has resulted in a shortage of DRAM and NAND flash storage, two components that are crucial for consumer electronics such as smartphones.These components represent a massive share of the total bill of materials (BoM). While brands can absorb the prices of these components in their flagship phones, budget and mid-range phones remain severely affected. With prices ranging from ₹500 to ₹5,000, buying a new phone seems to be a struggle for many people.
Another cause of concern is the depreciation of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar. Given that a substantial portion of critical smartphone components are imported, the weakening of Rupee has resulted in massive surge in hardware costs. This dual pressure of rising global component costs and local currency weakness has made the “more specs for less money” model, which previously defined the Indian smartphone landscape, largely unsustainable
As an effect, brands have started cutting corners by downgrading specifications to maintain price points or reducing the storage/RAM offered in the base variant. With experts predicting the chip shortage to last until 2027-28, your next smartphone will only get pricier over time.
