Qualcomm is reportedly raising the prices of its Snapdragon chipsets, adding more pressure to an industry that's already grappling with soaring memory costs.
According to a Bloomberg report, the increase is set to take effect on September 1, 2026, meaning any chip orders placed after that date will cost more.
As per the report, Qualcomm informed customers, many of them Android phone manufacturers, that prices are rising by "double-digit" percentages. Qualcomm has reportedly run out of room to absorb rising costs from its own suppliers and its attempts to source components from alternative suppliers haven't panned out.
The company's own supplier troubles trace back largely to TSMC, which manufactures chips for Qualcomm alongside major players like Apple and Nvidia.
A separate Nikkei Asia report suggests that TSMC itself could be raising prices by 5-10%, depending on the chipset and order size. This is a cost that Qualcomm appears to be passing on while protecting its own margins.
There have also been rumours of Qualcomm developing a cheaper variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, potentially as a way to keep budget flagships from becoming unaffordable.
Android flagships from Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus are the most obvious targets. However, Snapdragon chips also power Windows laptops, Meta's smart glasses and Quest headsets, tablets, foldables and wearables like the newly launched Galaxy Watch 9. Put simply, this price hike touches nearly every device category built on Qualcomm silicon.
Phones launching later this year could still be affected depending on when manufacturers locked in orders. But those launching in 2027 are likely to feel the brunt of it.
Combined with the ongoing RAM shortage, which recently pushed Google to confirm the incoming Pixel 11 price hike as well, upgrading your phone could get noticeably pricier over the next year. Looks like our dedicated smartphone price hike tracker is only going to get more crowded.
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