If you’re planning to buy a new PC or mobile device this year, there’s bad news: You’ll likely shell out more cash for the device than in previous years.
If you plan to buy a new PC or mobile device this year, you’ll likely be shelling out more cash than in previous years. Prices are going up, and expensive devices are in demand.
On average, the price of PCs and phones will go up by 2 percent this year, Gartner said in a research report released on Thursday. The calculations are based on U. S. dollars and average market sizes.
Breaking those numbers down, PC prices are expected to go up 1.4 percent this year, while mobile phone prices will go up 4.3 percent.
The prices will go up largely due to the rising prices of components. Also, more users are upgrading to more expensive and feature-rich mobile handsets.
The days of users preferring to buy the cheapest products are gone, said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.
Buyers are less price sensitive and are instead buying devices “that suit their lifestyles,” Atwal said.
Gartner’s forecast is in line with a projection in February by Lenovo’s chief operating officer, Gianfranco Lanci, who said PC prices would go up this year due to a shortage of DRAM, SSDs, batteries, and LCDs.
The cost of components like NAND flash have doubled since June last year, Gartner said.
The overall cost of purchasing components is going up.
