[Generated Title]: Xiaomi's 2026 Price Hike Warning: Translation—"Get Ready to Bend Over, Suckers"

So, Xiaomi's "warning" about 2026 price hikes due to a memory crunch? Give me a break. It's not a warning; it's a damn announcement, thinly veiled. They're already prepping the ground for fleecing us.

The Memory Cartel Strikes Again

According to reports, Xiaomi President Lu Weibing is all doom and gloom about memory chip prices, saying they bottomed out in 2023 and are now on a "longer-term trend" upwards. Translation: "We saw how much Apple charges for their iPhones, and we want in on that action." The Xiaomi 17 series, huh? Suddenly they're competing with Apple? Please.

And Samsung? Oh, they're "pressured" to raise prices on the Galaxy S26. Like they hate making more money. This whole "we're just victims of the market" routine is insulting. They expect us to believe this nonsense, and honestly...

It's the same old song and dance. Component prices go up a bit, and suddenly everything is more expensive. Where's the innovation to offset these costs? Oh, right, that's too hard. Easier to just pass it on to the consumer. Thanks, guys.

Trendforce is even lowering production forecasts. Ofcourse they are.

Blame AI, Blame Someone Else

The excuse this time is AI. Apparently, all that AI-driven HBM demand is sucking up all the memory supply. Which, okay, maybe that's part of it. But let's be real: these companies have been artificially inflating prices for years. Remember when they were all whining about tariffs?

Lu Weibing even had the gall to say that some companies will "fall behind—or even exit the market." Oh no! Not slightly cheaper Android phone company #47! What ever will we do? Look, the market will consolidate, sure. But let's not pretend this is some tragic, unavoidable event. It's a calculated squeeze.

I mean, Xiaomi is already pushing "premium models" like the Mi 17 or whatever they're calling it. They're raising prices on the Redmi K90 flagship. It's all part of the plan.

And Samsung? Don't even get me started. They’re crying about Qualcomm application processor (AP) expenses going up, but they also raised prices on memory chips by 30-60%. So they're playing both sides? Shocker.

But wait, are we really supposed to believe that these companies are helpless against the tides of the market? Are they just hapless victims of supply and demand? Or are they actively manipulating the market to their advantage? I think we all know the answer. According to [News] Memory Crunch Hits Smartphones: Xiaomi Flags 2026 Price Hikes, Samsung Under Memory, AP Pressure, Xiaomi is warning of price hikes as early as 2026.

The Electric Vehicle Distraction

Oh, and here's a fun fact buried in all this: Xiaomi's electric vehicle unit is "posting a profit for the first time in a single quarter." Convenient, isn't it? "Hey, our phones are getting more expensive, but look at our shiny new cars!" It's a classic distraction tactic.

The Xiaomi SU7 is cool, I guess. But it doesn't excuse price gouging on smartphones.

So, What's the Real Story?

These companies are laughing all the way to the bank while we're stuck paying more for the same damn thing. It's not a memory crunch; it's a memory heist. And we're the victims.