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It should come as no surprise that TVs are going to be more expensive this year, but not in the way you might think. Although it might be perfectly normal for TV prices (and, in general, electronics prices) to rise year over year, 2026 may give way to even broader price hikes. And it's all thanks to AI.
In the heat of CES last week, after announcing its 2026 TV lineup, Samsung warned of this coming dilemma. According to the brand, prices are set to surge in line with the rise in demand for DRAM and RAM, which are directly linked to data centers that power AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Currently, RAM prices are at an all-time high, hence the still ongoing RAMageddon crisis.
Samsung's warning
Speaking candidly with Bloomberg at CES 2026, Samsung President and Head of Global Marketing, Wonjin Lee, explained how the spike in memory will trickle down to everything. Samsung is in a prime position to speak about these issues, as it's a leading provider of DRAM and SSDs, the very same components at the heart of the RAMageddon crisis.
"There’s going to be issues around semiconductor supplies, and it’s going to affect everyone. Prices are going up even as we speak. Obviously, we don’t want to convey that burden to the consumers, but we’re going to be at a point where we have to actually consider repricing our products."
Wonjin Lee, President and Head of Global Marketing at Samsung
"There’s going to be issues around semiconductor supplies, and it’s going to affect everyone. Prices are going up even as we speak," Lee says. "Obviously, we don’t want to convey that burden to the consumers, but we’re going to be at a point where we have to actually consider repricing our products."
This also puts Samsung ahead of market rivals, as it can source these components more easily than others, including LG, Hisense, and TCL. While that doesn't necessarily mean Samsung TVs will be cheaper than their competitors, it does give Samsung an advantage.
Market rivals, such as LG, Hisense, and TCL, could have an uphill battle this year if the cost of components has risen significantly. According to market research firm Omdia, TV-specific DRAM prices have increased by 50%. TVs require Flash NAND eMMC memory, which has doubled over the past year, and Omdia claims the spike will most certainly impact the market in 2026.
What are other brands thinking?
I reached out to a variety of TV makers to find out if there is any pressure this year to raise prices due to RAMageddon. However, very few responded in time for this article, which makes sense, given that TV prices are still in limbo at most distributors.
According to Hisense's Kenneth Hong, the hammer has still yet to drop, but the issue might be mitigated by tighter collaboration between suppliers and manufacturers.
"The memory supply is putting some pressure on our supply chain, ergo, we have and are strengthening collaboration with our suppliers."
Kenneth Hong, Head of Corporate Communications & Public Relations, Hisense
"The memory supply is putting some pressure on our supply chain, ergo, we have and are strengthening collaboration with our suppliers," Hong said in response to an email from Tom's Guide. "To date, the RAM issue has not had any material impact on our delivery plans."
In an email correspondence between LG and Tom's Guide, a company spokesperson said, "LG has not yet announced pricing on 2026 TVs, so we'd be unable to comment at this time." Initial production on the LG C6, C6E, and G6 has likely begun already, which could mean the rise of Flash NAND eMMC prices could lead to more expensive LG OLEDs.
It all comes down to market shifts, and much of it is a guessing game at this point.
TV price hikes outlook
While there's good reason to feel nervous about TV price hikes in 2026, nothing is set in stone at this point. Most TV manufacturers have yet to fully announce their entire TV lineups, and ditto for official pricing.
Even if TVs have a slightly higher launch price, it's worth noting that TV prices tend to dip very fast. Almost every TV maker offers steep discounts after a solid five to six months following release, which is how all those enticing savings can be had during the holidays.
So what's a TV shopper to do? Well, even if TV prices are extreme in 2026, you'll have plenty of alternative options to choose from. Several 2025 and 2024 TVs are still available and will be heavily discounted heading into the new year. In fact, depending on 2026 TV prices, 2025 TVs might even be the safer bet to buy this year.
For now, all we can do is wait and see. New TV prices typically aren't announced until March or April, so we'll have a better understanding of what to expect later in the year.
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