Memory prices will keep climbing through the third quarter of 2026, but the blistering increases of the past few quarters are set to cool as consumer buyers reach the ceiling of what they can afford, according to a detailed TrendForce report. The research firm's latest memory pricing survey projects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise 13% to 18% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in Q3 2026, with NAND Flash contract prices increasing 10% to 15%; substantial gains, but a marked slowdown from the roughly 60% jumps recorded in the second quarter.
According to the report, the cooldown is driven by consumer electronics manufacturers' unwillingness and inability to absorb higher memory costs after months of relentless price increases, rather than by improved supply. In other words, memory remains in short supply, but consumers are no longer willing to keep paying ever-higher prices.
