Investigation: Mobile Phone Price Hike Wave - Honor and OPPO Lead with Price Increases Starting from 300 Yuan, Xiaomi and Huawei Have Not Followed Suit Yet, Budget Phones Accelerating Exit

Whale News, March 21 (Reporter Lu Pengpeng):
“Last week, the price started with 1, and this week it’s already starting with 2.”
Inside the store, a consumer sighed at the price tag.

Affected by rising memory prices and other factors, the previously anticipated “mobile phone price hike” is continuing to unfold. Whale News reporters visited several offline stores and learned that brands like Honor, OPPO, and vivo have already adjusted their prices, with overall increases ranging from 300 to 500 yuan. Some models from Xiaomi and Huawei have not yet followed suit.

Honor, OPPO Lead Price Increases

Increases mostly between 300 and 500 yuan

On March 21, a Saturday, many consumers visited offline stores to buy phones. In an Honor store, a salesperson was explaining the specifications to a customer. When discussing prices, he said, “This Honor 500 Standard Edition just finished its price adjustment. You can also check out the Honor 500 Pro, which hasn’t increased in price yet. It offers better value.”

Honor 500 Standard Edition after price increase. Photo by Whale News

From the salesperson, Whale News learned that most Honor models have increased in price. For example, the Honor 500 Standard Edition, originally priced at 2,999 yuan (12GB+512GB), is now 3,299 yuan. The Honor X70 (12GB+256GB), originally 1,799 yuan, is now 2,099 yuan. Most increases are around 300 yuan.

Honor X70. Photo by Whale News

In addition to Honor, at an OPPO offline store, the salesperson confirmed that some models have recently been price-adjusted, with different series experiencing different increases.

The salesperson explained that this round of price adjustments mainly affected the OnePlus series, A series, and K series. Regarding specific increases, he said that different storage versions saw different hikes. For example, the OnePlus series generally increased by 300 yuan, and the K series by about 500 yuan, with increases roughly between 300 and 500 yuan.

For consumers looking to buy now, the salesperson recommended prioritizing series that haven’t yet increased in price. Currently, the Reno series and X9 series have not followed the price hike.

Besides Honor and OPPO, stores for vivo, Samsung, and others have also generally completed price adjustments, with increases mostly between 10% and 30%. Some popular models have seen more significant price hikes.

Supply Shortages at Many Stores

Xiaomi and Huawei Have Not Yet Increased Prices

In addition to offline stores, several brands have announced online price increases.

OPPO’s official flagship store stated that starting March 16, 2026, OPPO will adjust prices for the A series, K series, and some OnePlus models. The Find series, Reno series, and OPPO Pad series are not included.

The price adjustments are mainly due to rising costs of core components, leading to higher retail prices for some products. Specific adjustment amounts are not uniformly detailed, as different models, configurations, and regional subsidies affect final prices.

Honor’s flagship store said that recently, due to ongoing global supply chain cost increases, they have adjusted prices for some models. Honor will continue to provide the best experience and value to users. Thank you for your attention.

It’s worth noting that, besides price increases, supply is also tightening.

At another Honor store, a salesperson told Whale News that only a few models, such as Magic8 and 500 Pro, have not yet increased in price. Additionally, the newly released Honor Magic V6 is 1,000 yuan more expensive than the previous generation with the same memory configuration. However, stock is running out—besides phones, tablets have also increased in price. Currently, not only are prices rising, but supply is also very tight.

The salesperson explained, “For example, the newly released Honor Magic V6, with the same memory configuration, is 1,000 yuan more expensive than the previous generation. But there’s hardly any stock of the 16GB+512GB version in Shanghai, only a handful, and they are all bundle sets with a 900 yuan gift box.”

He attributed this to upstream supply chain issues, saying production capacity at factories is gradually recovering.

Another store salesperson told Whale News that some models are “one in, one out,” with tight stock, making it difficult for consumers to get devices immediately.

Although many brands are raising prices, Whale News found that Huawei and Xiaomi have not yet followed suit. Store staff said they have not received any brand price increase notices.

Huawei store. Photo by Whale News

Prices Influenced by Storage Chips

Manufacturers Adjust Strategies, Entry-Level Phones Disappear Faster

The direct cause of this round of price hikes is the surge in storage chip prices.

According to data released by the National Development and Reform Commission Price Monitoring Center on February 28, as of January 2026, the prices of the two main global storage chips, DRAM (memory) and NAND flash, reached their highest levels since 2016. Industry research firm TrendForce pointed out that, for example, the contract price for 8GB+256GB storage in the first quarter of 2026 is nearly 200% higher than in the same period in 2025.

Industry experts generally believe that the current widespread price increase in smartphones is not a brand-initiated premium. Under the backdrop of exploding AI computing power demand, giants like Samsung and SK Hynix are prioritizing capacity for higher-margin AI storage, actively reducing capacity for mobile phone memory. Mobile manufacturers are unable to absorb the rising costs alone, making price hikes inevitable.

In this context, phone manufacturers are forced to adjust their sales strategies.

Whale News’ offline visits revealed that models priced below 1,000 yuan, or just over 1,000 yuan, are now hard to find, and some are about to exit the market. The market is rapidly polarizing: flagship models are becoming more expensive, with entry-level prices rising above 1,500 yuan. The era of sub-1,000-yuan phones is gradually ending, and future phones may trend toward “high specs, high prices.”

(Editors: Dong Pingping)