The consumer electronics industry is facing unstable prices and a drop in shipments. This is caused by a serious shortage of memory chips, which is mainly due to the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

消費電子產業正面臨價格不穩定和出貨量下降的問題。這是由嚴重的記憶體晶片短缺引起的，主因是人工智慧（AI）基礎設施的增長。

The current instability in the hardware market is caused by a lack of DRAM and NAND memory. This problem has become worse because of the high demand for AI data centers and political instability in West Asia. Consequently, major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Dell have raised prices for laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles. For example, Apple's MacBook and iPad prices rose by 20% and 25%, while Microsoft's Xbox consoles are expected to increase by about $150.

目前的硬體市場不穩定是由於缺乏 DRAM 和 NAND 記憶體。由於對 AI 數據中心的需求極高，加上西亞政局不穩，使得問題更加嚴重。因此，像 Apple、Microsoft 和 Dell 這樣的大公司調高了筆記型電腦、平板電腦和遊戲主機的價格。例如，Apple 的 MacBook 和 iPad 價格上漲了 20% 和 25%，而 Microsoft 的 Xbox 主機預計將增加約 150 美元。

There is a clear difference between the premium and budget markets. According to Omdia, memory costs now make up 64% of the total cost for devices priced under $99. Because of these low profit margins, brands like Xiaomi and Oppo might stop producing low-end devices entirely. In contrast, high-end devices—such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max—remain successful because wealthy customers are less affected by price increases. This trend is supported by IDC data from Q2 2026, which shows that while global PC shipments fell by 4.9%, Apple increased its market share by launching the MacBook Neo.

高端市場與預算市場之間存在明顯差異。根據 Omdia 的數據，對於價格低於 99 美元的裝置，記憶體成本目前佔總成本的 64%。由於利潤率低，像小米和 Oppo 這樣的品牌可能會完全停止生產低端裝置。相比之下，高端裝置——例如 iPhone 17 Pro Max——依然維持成功，因為富裕客戶較不易受到價格上漲的影響。IDC 2026 年第二季的數據支持了這一趨勢，顯示雖然全球 PC 出貨量下降了 4.9%，但 Apple 透過推出 MacBook Neo 提升了其市場佔有率。

At the same time, more consumers are choosing to buy refurbished hardware. Market data shows a rise in secondhand device purchases, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. This is happening because some users do not find new AI features useful, and others prefer older, analog technology. For instance, eBay searches for iPods have increased by 20%. Platforms like Back Market have noted that whenever new product prices rise, the sales of refurbished units increase immediately.

與此同時，越來越多消費者選擇購買翻新硬體。市場數據顯示二手裝置的購買量上升，尤其是在 Gen Z 和千禧世代中。這是因為部分使用者認為新的 AI 功能並不實用，而其他人則偏好較舊的類比技術。例如，eBay 上對 iPod 的搜尋量增加了 20%。像 Back Market 這樣的平台注意到，每當新產品價格上漲，翻新單元的銷售量就會立即增加。

The electronics market continues to shrink for budget devices, and experts do not expect the memory supply chain to fully recover until late 2027 or early 2028.

預算裝置的電子市場持續縮小，專家預計記憶體供應鏈要到 2027 年底或 2028 年初才會完全恢復。