Samsung Increases Chip Prices by 15% Amidst Rising AI Demand and Global Supply Constraints
The global AI hardware boom is hitting a new pressure point: Samsung has raised prices for chips produced on its advanced manufacturing nodes, adding fresh cost pressures across the technology industry just as demand for AI accelerators reaches fever pitch.
Reports surfacing on August 19, 2026, indicate that Samsung raised prices in July for chips produced using its 4-nanometer SF4 process. The increases ranged from 10% to 15% for customers in China and the U.S., and 5% to 10% for customers in Taiwan. Prices for wafers on the 5-nanometer SF5 process also climbed 10% to 15%, while older 8-nanometer technology rose by nearly 10%. Chinese customers absorbed some of the steepest hikes.
This move follows similar signals from industry leader TSMC, which is reportedly considering price hikes of up to 10% across all chip nodes starting January 2027. TSMC currently dominates global foundry revenue with more than 70% market share, and its cutting-edge 3nm capacity is already booked through 2026 and 2027, with 2nm output claimed by Apple, Nvidia, and AMD.
The price surge reflects intense AI-driven demand from companies like Nvidia, Apple, and Tesla, combined with a tightening supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Meanwhile, Nvidia’s H200 AI chips have begun reaching major Chinese tech firms, including ByteDance and Tencent, following U.S. government approval for conditional exports — further straining global chip inventories.
Source: Yahoo Finance – After TSMC, Samsung Is Also Reportedly Planning To Hike Chip Prices