- RAM crisis forced Microsoft to raise Surface laptop prices
- These increases are widespread, with increases of up to $500 in the United States.
- Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets also received big price increases
A new round of price hikes on hardware – Microsoft’s Surface devices alongside Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets – is the latest blow to consumers from the RAM crisis.
Windows Central noticed that prices for Surface laptops have increased across the board on the Microsoft Store. Some of the worst price hikes here mean base devices have been increased by $500 in the US.
For example, the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop started at $999 when the device first appeared in 2024, but it now costs $1,499 (with 16GB of RAM – the same configuration as all of these entry-level models).
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If you want the 15-inch model of this laptop, you’ll pay $300 more than at launch, with an outlay of $1,599 (not a big jump, but still a nasty increase).
As for the 13-inch Surface Pro, the amount has been increased by $500. The 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop weren’t hit as hard, but remain $250 and $300 more expensive, respectively, for the entry-level configuration.
A high-end 13-inch Surface Pro with 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will lighten your wallet to the tune of $3,649.
No doubt expect equivalent increases in other regions, and these new prices will be applied to other retailers selling Surface products, as you would expect.
Microsoft told Windows Central: “Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating prices on Microsoft.com for its current-generation hardware portfolio. We remain committed to delivering value to customers and partners while meeting our standards of quality and innovation.
Meanwhile, Phone Arena is reporting price hikes on select models of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets, which have only just gone into effect in the United States.
The price of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 variant with 512GB of storage has been increased from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, with the Galaxy S25 Edge (512GB) also increased from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99. Additionally, the price of the Galaxy S25 FE has increased from $709.99 to $749.9 (in this case for the 256GB model).
When it comes to Samsung tablets, price increases have been applied to the Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S10, and Tab A11 models in the United States. This includes increases of $100 to $200, or even almost $300 in some cases (the Tab S11 Ultra with 1TB went from $1,619.99 to $1,899.99).
Analysis: Samsung’s concerns and Apple’s value
At least the price increases are relatively slight with Samsung phones, although $80 is still a bit of a sting (the $40 S25 FE is much more palatable). Compared to what happened with Samsung’s tablets, and the Surface line in particular, this is relatively insignificant. Additionally, Microsoft’s increases are across the board, while Samsung only increased a few phones here (and not entry-level products either, which is crucial).
Still, this comes as other Samsung phones and tablets became more expensive earlier this month (including the Galaxy Z Fold 7). Unfortunately, all of this points to possible further price increases from Samsung down the line.
As for Microsoft, the current-generation Surface line is great in many ways – the 13-inch Surface Laptop is still ranked as the best Windows 11 device in our best laptop roundup – but these new prices have really dented the line’s appeal. Microsoft devices are now a plot more expensive overall, and they’ve hardly specialized in affordability before (especially not with more robust RAM and SSD configurations).
This is particularly bad news for Microsoft right now, because it makes Apple’s MacBooks much more tempting in terms of their value proposition compared to a Surface purchase. Apple seems to have weathered this PC component storm more gracefully so far, and with the affordable MacBook Neo already threatening Windows laptop dominance, this could be a dangerous time for Satya Nadella’s company, both hardware and software-wise.
As one Reddit user observed in a thread in which several people are considering, or have already defected from macOS: “The timing is perfect for Microslop, a month after Apple announced the Neo. What could they have thought? Apple is now the value brand, lol…”
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