Samsung and Google hike lower-cost phone prices amid rising component costs

Samsung and Google have raised the starting prices of their budget smartphones, citing increased memory costs and component shortages, signalling a shift in affordable device pricing amidst industry-wide inflation.

Samsung and Google have both lifted the starting prices of their lower-cost smartphones in moves that appear linked to rising memory costs, deepening pressure on buyers looking for a more affordable upgrade. According to Engadget, the changes affect Google’s Pixel 10a and Samsung’s Galaxy A range, with the increases arriving as the wider industry contends with a shortage of RAM and other components.

Google has raised the US price of the Pixel 10a by $100, taking the 128GB model from $499 to $599. Android Central reported that the 256GB version has also risen, to $699, and that the higher prices are already visible at Google, Amazon and Best Buy. 9to5Google said the increase took effect at the Google Store on 2 October, while the company has not given a public explanation for the move.

Samsung, meanwhile, has increased prices across its Galaxy A line-up in the US. PhoneArena reported that the Galaxy A17 5G has gone from $200 to $270, the A27 5G from $350 to $380, the A37 5G from $450 to $490 and the A57 5G from $550 to $600. That places the latest rises between $30 and $70 per model, with the A17 5G having already received an earlier increase in August, according to Engadget.

The price pressure is not confined to the US. Engadget said MobileSyrup reported a sharper increase in Canada, where the Pixel 10a has climbed from C$679 to C$849. A separate report from Mediadogs in Japan said Google increased the Pixel 10a price there by 12,900 yen on 1 October, lifting the 128GB model to 92,800 yen and the 256GB model to 107,800 yen. The pattern suggests this is less a one-off adjustment than a broader response to component inflation, which may keep budget phones from returning quickly to their previous price points.