Vivo (维沃) to raise smartphone prices from March 18 as memory chip costs surge

Price hike announced

Vivo (维沃) said it will raise the suggested retail prices of some smartphone models starting March 18, citing continued sharp increases in global semiconductor and memory costs. The adjustment will affect multiple models across the Vivo and iQOO (爱酷) brands, the company said, and reportedly will be reflected through official channels and retail partners from that date.

What consumers should expect

Vivo did not publish a full list of model-specific increases in its announcement, and it has been reported that exact price changes will vary by model and market. Who is hit hardest? Mid‑range phones with larger memory configurations tend to be most sensitive to DRAM and NAND price swings, analysts say. For buyers in China’s intensely price‑competitive smartphone market, even modest increases could matter.

Broader supply and geopolitical context

Memory and semiconductor costs have been volatile as global demand for AI servers and consumer electronics competes with constrained production capacity. It has been reported that export controls, trade policy shifts and other geopolitical pressures have also tightened certain supply lines, pushing component prices higher. Vivo’s move may foreshadow wider price adjustments across the industry if suppliers continue to pass higher costs to OEMs and, ultimately, to consumers.