The increase in the price of the Galaxy S27 Ultra seems inevitable as the costs of components keep rising.

      Rising costs for RAM, storage, and processors may impact the Galaxy S27 Ultra

      Tom Bedford / Digital Trends

      The Galaxy S27 series is still a few months away, but there's already speculation about a potential price increase. Tipster kro on X suggests that the Galaxy S27 Ultra could be around 150,000 won more expensive than its predecessor in South Korea, which translates to approximately $104.

      While a price rise in Korea does not necessarily imply a similar increase in the US or other regions, it's a plausible scenario given Samsung's recent alerts about growing component expenses.

      According to kro, the Galaxy S27 Ultra may face a price surge of up to 150,000 KRW compared to the last model. If memory prices continue to escalate, a price hike seems even more probable. Currently, Samsung is recalibrating component prices to uphold its profit margins.

      Reasons for the likelihood of a price increase

      Samsung recently indicated that memory shortages are already impacting its mobile sector, while the demand from AI data centers is pushing component prices higher. The company anticipates the shortage will worsen in 2027 and continue into 2028.

      RAM isn't the only concern; NAND storage prices are also increasing quickly. Additionally, Qualcomm has announced intentions to raise chip prices starting September 1, which is likely to affect the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro intended for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

      Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

      We can observe this trend in Samsung's recent product launches, with the Galaxy Z Flip 8 being a clear illustration. The latest foldable is nearly identical to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in many critical features, including cameras, battery size, and charging speeds, yet it launched with a starting price that is $100 higher. Kro stated that Samsung is adjusting component prices to safeguard its profit margins. The rest of the Galaxy S27 series might also face sharper cost reductions if memory prices keep rising.

      Some significant upgrades are anticipated

      While a price hike may be hard to accept, the Galaxy S27 Ultra could finally resolve some longstanding issues. Reports indicate Samsung might incorporate a 5,534mAh battery, likely marketed as 5,700mAh. This would represent the first substantial capacity increase for the Ultra series after years of maintaining 5,000mAh, and the inclusion of silicon-carbon technology may allow Samsung to fit the larger battery without excessively increasing the phone's thickness.

      Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

      Camera enhancements could feature new 50MP ultrawide and telephoto sensors, along with a 16MP square selfie sensor capable of taking portrait and landscape photos without rotating the device. There's also speculation that Samsung might reconsider the dedicated 3x telephoto camera, although how they would manage intermediate zoom levels remains uncertain.

      None of this information is confirmed, and the Galaxy S27 Ultra is still in development. I'll reserve judgment on the upgrades until I see them, but Samsung may need every one of them if it intends to increase prices for consumers next year. A $100 rise similar to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 8 would raise the Ultra’s US starting price to $1,399.99, though regional pricing and component costs could fluctuate before its anticipated launch in early 2027.

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      Apple's lease program offers a less burdensome way to pay for more expensive iPhones this year

      Recently, Apple announced a new "Upgrade" program that effectively functions as a leasing option for purchasing Apple devices. Instead of upfront payments, customers can spread the cost over monthly installments (12, 24, or 36 months), allowing them to choose to return the device, upgrade at the end of the lease period, or pay the remaining balance to keep it permanently.

      The concept is straightforward—rather than facing a large one-time expense, the cost is distributed across smaller monthly payments. For a flagship iPhone, this generally breaks down to about a dollar a day, while for budget models like the iPhone 17e, the cost is just 50 cents daily.

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      Pixel 11 leak hints at an odd combination of improvements and drawbacks for a higher price

      The Pixel 11 may start at $899 with 256GB of storage, but its camera specifications remain uncertain.

      Google could ask buyers to pay an additional $100 for a phone that enhances internal components while leaving significant camera details unresolved. A recent leak from Android Headlines suggests that the base model will start at $899, up from $799 for the Pixel 10.

      The additional cost would at least offer more storage, as the Pixel 11 is rumored to begin with 256GB instead of the previous 128GB. Leaked specs indicate options for 12GB and 16GB RAM. However, the same source only mentions a main camera and an ultrawide, even though other leaks appear to