Laptop, PC prices to rise 35% in 2026

Motilal Oswal and IDC have issued urgent warnings that the retail prices of laptops and PCs could spike by as much as 35% to 40% this year.

This “perfect storm” of rising costs is primarily driven by a global component crisis and shifting trade policies, rather than a single event.

1. “RAMaggedon”: The Memory Crisis

The biggest factor driving the 35% surge is the extreme shortage of DRAM (memory) and NAND (storage) chips.

• AI vs. Consumers: Global AI giants (OpenAI, NVIDIA, Google) are “gobbling up” manufacturing bandwidth at memory fabs like Samsung and SK Hynix. To meet the soaring need for AI servers, these fabs have reallocated production away from consumer-grade RAM.
• Price Spikes: Samsung reportedly raised certain memory chip prices by up to 60% recently. For an average consumer laptop, memory alone could add nearly $100 (~₹8,500) to the manufacturing cost in 2026.
• Spec Compression: To avoid raising prices even further, many “budget” laptops may revert from 16GB back to 8GB of RAM, or use dimmer screens and cheaper materials.

2. The Shift to “AI PCs”

Microsoft’s push for Copilot+ PCs has raised the “baseline” cost of hardware:

• Higher Minimum Specs: New AI-capable laptops now mandate at least 16GB of RAM and powerful Neural Processing Units (NPUs).
• Cost Transfer: Since these high-spec components are more expensive to source, manufacturers (Dell, HP, Lenovo) are passing these costs directly to the buyer.

3. Trade & Tariffs (U.S. and India)

Government policies are adding an extra layer of cost to the final retail price:

• U.S. Import Surcharges: On February 24, 2026, a temporary 10% ad valorem duty on many imports took effect in the U.S. While some “critical electronics” received temporary reprieves, the general tariff environment has pushed global logistics costs higher.
• India’s Import Monitoring: The Indian government has extended its import monitoring system for laptops and servers through December 2026. While not a direct “ban,” the permit system and the push for domestic manufacturing (PLI scheme) have led to reduced discounts on imported models.
• New India Customs Rules: As of February 2026, while travelers can bring one laptop duty-free, sealed or brand-new premium laptops over ₹70,000 brought from abroad now face a total import duty and GST hit of approximately 36%.

Price Comparison Forecast (2026)

The Takeaway: Buy Now or Wait?

Experts suggest that if you need a laptop for the 2026 school year or for work, buying immediately is the safest move. Prices are expected to remain volatile and trend upward until late 2026 or early 2027, when new memory manufacturing capacity finally comes online.