Major technology companies, including Apple and Microsoft, have increased the prices of several hardware products. These companies claim that the price hikes are necessary because of a global shortage of memory components.

包括 Apple 與 Microsoft 在內的大型科技公司已調高數款硬體產品的價格。這些公司聲稱，由於全球記憶體元件短缺，價格調漲是必要的。

The current instability in semiconductor pricing is mainly caused by the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. These facilities need large amounts of DRAM and NAND flash memory to handle heavy workloads, which creates a supply shortage for other electronics. Consequently, companies like Samsung and Motorola have also raised their retail prices to cover these higher costs. Industry analysts, such as Neil Shah from Counterpoint, emphasize that this supply chain problem may last for at least two years.

目前的半導體定價不穩定，主因是人工智慧 (AI) 數據中心的增長。這些設施需要大量 DRAM 和 NAND 快閃記憶體來處理沉重的工作量，導致其他電子產品出現供應短缺。因此，三星和摩托羅拉等公司也調高了零售價格，以抵消這些較高的成本。Counterpoint 的 Neil Shah 等產業分析師強調，這個供應鏈問題可能至少會持續兩年。

Apple's strategy has become a subject of debate. Despite earning a net income of $112 billion in 2025 and maintaining a strong profit margin, the company increased prices on Macs, iPads, and Vision Pro devices by 15% to 30%. Although CEO Tim Cook previously suggested that the company could use its own funds to avoid these costs, the recent price hikes show a change in direction. Critics, including Senator Bernie Sanders, asserted that Apple is prioritizing shareholders over customers, especially since the company spent $310 billion on stock buybacks. However, some analysts argue that Apple has run out of its stored inventory, making price increases unavoidable.

Apple 的策略已成為爭論焦點。儘管公司在 2025 年獲得 1,120 億美元的淨利，且維持強勁的利潤率，但公司仍將 Mac、iPad 和 Vision Pro 裝置的價格調漲了 15% 至 30%。雖然執行長 Tim Cook 此前暗示公司可以使用自有資金來避免這些成本，但近期的漲價顯示方向已有所改變。包括參議員 Bernie Sanders 在內的批評者聲稱，Apple 優先考慮股東而非顧客，特別是公司花了 3,100 億美元回購股票。然而，部分分析師認為 Apple 的儲存庫存已耗盡，使得漲價不可避免。

These price increases also affect the gaming industry, where high-performance consoles and handheld devices are becoming more expensive. Microsoft reported that memory and storage costs have increased 2.5 times, which will likely lead to a 20% price increase for the Xbox Series S. Similarly, the Steam Machine from Valve has seen its starting price rise to $1,609 in Australia. While new devices like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ offer advanced AI performance, their high prices may discourage buyers, potentially pushing consumers toward older hardware or cloud-based streaming services.

這些漲價也影響了遊戲產業，高效能遊戲主機與手持裝置變得更加昂貴。微軟報告指出，記憶體與儲存成本增加了 2.5 倍，這可能會導致 Xbox Series S 的價格上漲 20%。同樣地，Valve 的 Steam Machine 在澳洲的起售價已升至 1,609 澳元。雖然像 MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ 等新裝置提供了先進的 AI 性能，但高昂的價格可能會令買家卻步，潛在地將消費者推向舊硬體或雲端串流服務。

The consumer electronics market is currently seeing higher hardware costs because manufacturers are passing the expenses of the AI-driven component shortage on to the customers.

消費電子市場目前面臨較高的硬體成本，因為製造商將 AI 驅動的元件短缺成本轉嫁給了顧客。