The prices of smartphones, televisions and laptops will see an increase of up to 8 percent in the coming months. Image Credit source: ChatGPT
When the new GST rates were implemented in September 2025, the government reduced the tax on television from 28 percent to 18 percent. There was no change in the GST rates of smartphones and laptops, because both these gadgets were already in the 18 percent slab. While it was also being speculated that GST on laptops and smartphones could be increased. This means that under the GST reform, the common people were given a lot of relief in gadgets.
Now it seems that that relief is going to end in the next two to 3 months. Memory chip crisis has arisen not only in India but all over the world. Due to which there is a decrease in the production of gadgets. Due to which the prices of memory chips are increasing. We may see further increase in their prices in the coming days.
ET’s report says that there may be an increase in the prices of smartphones, televisions and laptops in the coming two to three months. This increase can be seen from 4 to 8 percent. The special thing is that in the last two months of last year i.e. November and December, there has been an increase of more than 21 percent in the prices of gadgets. That too when there is a decrease in their demand after the festive season. Let us also give you detailed information about this.
Gadgets can be expensive
According to industry executives and market experts, prices of smartphones, televisions and laptops are expected to increase by 4-8 per cent in the next two months, in addition to the sharp rise of up to 21 per cent seen in November-December.
Smartphone makers are facing the impact of increasing demand for memory chips due to the rapidly increasing use of AI and high performance computing, which is driving up prices. What’s worse, industry executives estimate that such price hikes could become a common occurrence every quarter or even every month this calendar year.
Companies increased the prices of phones
Market analyst Counterpoint Research said the memory market has entered a “hyper-bullish” phase, where after a 50 per cent rise in prices last quarter, it will rise by another 40-50 per cent this quarter, and another 20 per cent in April-June.
Tarun Pathak, research director, Counterpoint Research, said some smartphone brands like Vivo and Nothing have increased prices by Rs 3,000-5,000 in January, while other brands like Samsung are making indirect efforts like cashback and cutting discounts.
He said that memory prices are likely to continue increasing in 2026 and next year also. Although brands will take this into account in the sales of new products, prices may also come down due to reduction in some components like display.
Television will also be expensive
Phone makers said that the supply of memory chips has become a challenge. For example, Super Plastronics, which sells televisions under the Kodak, Thomson and Blaupunkt brands, is currently able to fulfill only about one-tenth of its orders for memory chips.
Super Plastronics CEO Avneet Singh Marwah said in an ET report that we increased prices by 7 per cent in November, now we are increasing the prices by 10 per cent this month and plan to increase another 4 per cent in February. Actually, the discount in the upcoming Republic Day sale will be the lowest.
Retail chains said that laptop prices have already increased by 5-8 percent and major television brands have indicated that prices will increase soon. Pulkit Baid, director of Great Eastern Retail, said in an ET report that this price hike will have an immediate impact on demand.
There is a possibility of a huge decline in the market
According to the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA), an organization of mobile phone retail sellers, smartphone prices increased by 3-21 percent in November-December. The organization, which represents more than 150,000 shops, said that according to indications from brands, overall prices could increase by up to 30 percent in the coming months.
Kailash Lakhiani, president of AIMRA, said in an ET report that this sudden increase in prices is likely to cause a huge decline in the market, and the shipment volume is expected to decline by 10-12 per cent in 2026. He further said that the biggest impact will be on the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment, which is the highest selling segment in India. Consumers are already waiting for the situation.
Impact of rupee weakness also
Counterpoint also said that India could see a sharper decline in smartphone sales in 2026 than the projected 2% decline due to the increase in memory chip prices and resulting increase in handset prices. The weakening of the rupee against the US dollar has also proved to be a double blow for the companies. According to Counterpoint, 4GB RDIMM prices will rise from $255 in the September quarter of 2025 to $450 in the December quarter, and could potentially reach $700 by March 2026.
Got relief from GST reform
In September, under the GST reform, the government had reduced the rates from 28 percent to 18 percent to reduce the prices of TV. On the other hand, smartphones and laptops were already in the range of 18 percent. In such a situation, common people got a lot of relief. But due to increase in prices, the benefit of reduction in GST rates is now decreasing. As said in the report, further increase in prices may be seen in the coming days. In such a situation, the burden on the pockets of common people may be seen increasing. Due to which an increase in overall inflation may also be seen in the country.