Early 2026 brought some price relief, but that is expected to change. The AI boom has pulled the world’s memory chip supply toward data centres, leaving less for phones, laptops and other devices. TechCentral reported in June that this was ending the earlier price drops, and Vodacom’s CEO has said memory costs will push handset prices up, while Vodacom has been buying stock at older prices to soften the blow.
Budget and entry-level phones look the most exposed, and some cheaper models may even go back to less memory to keep prices down. Laptops and PCs are expected to rise too. None of this means every phone will cost more tomorrow, but it does mean that waiting for a bigger discount next year may not pay off.
If you need a new phone, decide what you really need first: enough storage and memory for the apps you use and a battery that lasts. Then compare cash, contract and prepaid options, and check the Black Friday deals on 27 November against normal prices rather than assuming they are lower. If your current phone still works well, a repair or battery replacement may be the cheapest way to wait out the increases.