POCO's significant price hike shows impact of global memory shortage—some models up PHP 11K

Unfortunately, the global components and memory shortage problem is real.

File photo: POCO F8 Ultra

Price hike spotted

Even POCO, the Xiaomi-related brand known for delivering some of the best bang-for-the-buck products, has considerably increased the pricing of its products recently.

An article from Reuters revealed that Xiaomi earlier warned that the memory chip shortage would squeeze profitability, and hiking prices may be the only way to cope.

Fast-forward to late June 2026, and we are already feeling the effect.

Filipino Redditors on r/Tech_Philippines noticed many POCO phones are now more expensive compared to when they were first introduced in the country.

Upon checking on POCO's official LazMall page, they are right. No official announcements were made.

POCO X8 Pro Max new SRP in PH

For example, the POCO X8 Pro Max, launched in June, starts at PHP 25,999. Now, the starting SRP is PHP 36,999. That's a PHP 11K increase.

The POCO X8 Pro, one of the phones I really love to recommend due to its amazing value for money, previously started at PHP 18,999. Its value is still great, but the price hike is noticeable now that its retail price starts at PHP 25,999.

POCO F8 Ultra price hike

The POCO F8 Ultra, the most affordable good quality flagship for us, originally starts at PHP 40,999; now it starts at PHP 51,999.

This story is not isolated to just POCO; it is a global trend, a price we have to pay because of AI's rapid push.

IDC in December 2025 predicted that the effects of the shortage will persist well into 2027.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang even claims that the RAM crisis will last "quite a few years." Others say that even until late 2028, we would feel the effect.

One of the strategies one could use if he or she needs a new device is to buy sooner, watch out for promos, or buy older devices.

One smart strategy if you need a new device is to buy sooner, keep an eye on promos, or consider older models.

Source: Lazada