Xiaomi Raises Prices on Select Redmi Phones as Memory Costs Surge

Xiaomi is preparing to adjust prices across parts of its Redmi portfolio in China, citing a sharp and continuing rise in key component costs — most notably memory chips. The move comes after months of warnings from the company that 2026 would bring significant cost pressure for smartphone makers, with retail pricing likely to follow.

According to an official announcement, Xiaomi will raise the recommended retail price of the Redmi K90 Pro Max by 200 yuan per unit from April 11, 2026. At the same time, special Lunar New Year discounts on the Turbo 5 and Turbo 5 Max will be withdrawn, effectively pushing those models back to higher, standard price levels, although a 200‑yuan subsidy on the 512GB configuration will remain in place. These changes form the core of the first wave of price adjustments specifically targeting Redmi‑branded devices.

The company links the move directly to a “continued significant surge” in prices of core components, especially global memory chips used in smartphones. As AI servers and data‑center infrastructure consume more high‑bandwidth memory, suppliers have shifted capacity away from mobile‑class DRAM and NAND, driving up costs for phone manufacturers. Xiaomi has acknowledged that these increases cannot be fully absorbed on the manufacturing side, making at least some retail price hikes unavoidable.

Xiaomi product manager Wei Siqi stressed that the brand is trying to limit the impact of memory inflation to as few models as possible and asked customers for understanding as the adjustments roll out. Internal and industry forecasts suggest that further upward pressure on prices could extend to additional Redmi and Xiaomi lines later in the year, particularly higher‑storage variants that are most exposed to memory cost swings. For now, however, the company is focusing on a targeted set of Redmi devices rather than issuing blanket increases across its entire catalog.

For consumers in Xiaomi’s home market, the message is clear: the era of aggressive pricing on some mid‑range and upper‑mid‑range Redmi devices may be coming to an end, at least while component markets remain volatile. Budget‑conscious buyers eyeing the affected models may have a shrinking window to purchase at current levels before the new prices take effect.