We’ve been talking about the rise in component costs, especially memory prices, for some time now. RAM prices have become a constant headache for both manufacturers and consumers. And sooner or later, this effect was expected to be reflected on retail shelves. Now it seems the effects are starting to show.
Xiaomi Increases Tablet Prices!
Immediately following reports that Samsung might increase smartphone prices, prices for several Xiaomi products in mainland China have quietly risen. Depending on the model, the increases range from 100 to 200 yuan.
The price increase affected the Xiaomi Pad 8 series and all configurations of the Redmi Pad 2.
- Xiaomi Pad 8 (Base Model): Starting price increased from 2,199 yuan to 2,299 yuan (100 yuan increase).
- Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro (Top Model): Starting price climbed from 2,799 yuan to 2,899 yuan (100 yuan increase).
- Redmi Pad 2 (Entry Level): It took the hardest hit, with a 200 yuan increase across all models. The starting price now begins at 1,199 yuan.
According to industry analysts, this sudden price adjustment is largely due to the continuous rise in memory and storage chip prices. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing previously warned that storage costs had far exceeded expectations, and a recently published TrendForce report predicts a new and significant increase in storage prices in the first quarter of 2026.
A key factor behind this trend is the rapid growth of the AI industry. DRAM production capacity is increasingly being directed to data centers. This is creating an imbalance between supply and demand for chips used in traditional consumer electronics.
These cost pressures are now ripple across the supply chain, and Xiaomi’s tablet price increases provide a small but notable example of how the industry is absorbing this shock.
