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A lot of friends have been throwing up lately, and they're going to change the tablets a couple of times before they find something wrong. The number of models that were previously seen has increased quietly, ranging from one or two to five or six hundred. Not just millet, but major brands such as glories, ideas, apples, and so on, all have price increases of varying magnitude, and in 2026 they did cost hundreds more than last year。
The first reaction of many people is “business black”, but behind them are industrial changes that ordinary people do not notice. Today we will discuss the course of the upswing in the price boom, and we will be able to draw up a practical buy-in plan, both for the start-up and for the party。
I. The mark-up hammer: full-line pricing of mainstream brands, clearly identifiable
For starters, the price increase in 2026 was not an isolated phenomenon, but an industry-wide collective move, with different brands and different price bands increasing。
1. National production camps: the most significant increase at the middle and low end
- mi: the mi tablet 7 (8+128gb) was launched last year at $1499, the most recent price in april 2026 was $199, an increase of $500; mi tablet 7 pro (8+128gb) rose from 1999 to $2799, an increase of $800; and the entry fee for redmi rose from $899 to $1199, an increase of $300。
- glory: glory tablet gt2 pro (8+128gb) rose from us$ 1999 to us$ 2499 and 500; glory tableboard magic pad3 (8+256gb) rose from us$ 2499 to us$ 2999 and increased by 500; entry plate x9 (6+128gb) increased from us$ 699 to us$ 799 and us$ 100。
• consider: the number of new pat pro (8+256gb) has risen from $2499 to $2899, an increase of $400; the number of rescuers y7000 2025 (12+256gb) has risen from $2499 to $2899, an increase of $400。
Apple camp: high-end steady rise, including entry money
Ipad 2022 (64gb wlan version): from $3299 to $3599, an increase of $300。
Ipad air 4 (12+256gb): from $379 to $4199, an increase of $400。
Ipad pro m5 (11 inches 12+256gb): from $8499 to $899 and 500。
3. Overall increase
Taken together, the overall increase in tablets in 2026 was between 5 and 15 per cent, with the medium- and low-end type (us$ 1000 to us$ 3,000) increasing even more, generally between 10 and 20 per cent, and the high-end type (over $5,000) increasing relatively mildly, between 5 and 10 per cent. The entry-level market of less than $1,000 has contracted significantly, with a number of brands cutting down low-profit entry-level product lines and shifting to the middle and high end。
Ii. The truth about the price increase: it's not the firm's bad intentions, it's ai that robbed capacity + cost
A lot of people think that the manufacturers deliberately increase their prices to cut herbs. This round price increase is a cost-pressure transfer from the whole industry chain for three central reasons, all of which are solid industry changes。
Ai outbreak: storage capacity “wine-in”, consumption of electronics without goods
That is the central reason. Generating ai, large model training demand erupted in 2026, and the demand from the ai server for storage chips was eight times (dram) and three times (nand) of the traditional server. Samsung, sk hercules, american lights are three large storage giants, turning more than 70% of advanced production capacity to more profitable hbm high bandwidth memory and ai-specific storage, with consumption-grade storage quotas for mobile phones and tablets being significantly squeezed。
As a result, consumer-grade drams, nands had severe shortages and prices surged. Trendforce data show that the dram contract price ratio increased by 90-95 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 and the nand flash balance increased by 55-60 per cent. The memory cost of 12gb lpdr5x surged from $200 to close to $600, and the flash cost of 1tb ufs 4. 0 was close to $600, more than double。
Cost ratio soaring: stored in tablet “most expensive parts”
Previously, the storage chip represented only 10-15 per cent of the flatboard hardware cost and the manufacturer was able to internalize it. Storage costs now rise directly to 30-40 per cent, with some medium- and high-end machines approaching 50 per cent。
Added to this is a 30 per cent increase in raw materials such as silicon chips, photogels and special gases, the continued high price of precious metals such as copper, silver and tin (which is worth $100,000 per ton), the increase in energy prices pushes up the operation costs of the crystal round plant, and the overall cost pressure is fully charged. Without price increases, the manufacturer loses and cannot sustain production。
3. Structural constraints in productive capacity: not alleviated in the short term
The year 2023-2024 was characterized by low consumption of electronics, massive cuts in mature process capacity at the crystal mills, tight capacity at the 8-inch crystal round, and simultaneous price increases of between 5 and 20 per cent for alternative workers. With the expansion of the crystal circle plant lasting 18-24 months, the short-term supply and demand gap could not be alleviated。
The industry predicts that the storage boom will continue throughout 2026 and even into the first half of 2027. As a result, there is little chance that flat-board prices will fall in the short term and may continue to rise slightly。
Iii. How to choose ordinary people: based on budget + demand, precision in avoiding pits without spending money
Since the price increases are fixed, ordinary people do not have to set down the prices on a par, and the key is to choose their own budget and needs and spend every penny on the blade. The following splits allow you to sort out practical options for purchase, so that you can copy them directly。
1. Budget of $10000-2000: adequate entry and priority for basic experience
The price is a high-priced area, and it is the preferred of most student parties, backup users, with the core being “just enough” to avoid high matchmaking。
Recommended type
- redmi tablet (6+128gb, 1199): 6 gen1,10. 95 " 2k screen, 60hz refreshing rate, 5000mah battery, 18w quick fill. Fits to follow, brush, watch PDF, light office, highest value for money。
- glory tablet x9 (6+128gb, $799): 700,10. 1 inches of high-clean screen, 5,100 mah batteries, suitable for the elderly, children, and sufficient basic entertainment。
- think of little new pad 11 (4+128gb, $747): the first-rate price choice, suitable for temporary standby。
Selected procurement points
- storage: priority 6+128gb, 4+64gb is too small, it takes six months to get a card, and 128gb starts to load commonly used apps and videos。
- screen: at least 1080 p, 2k is better, eye-protected with tÜv-rhine low blue light。
- performance: 6 departments and 700 or more, which are capable of running the mainstream video app, learning from app, and not buying old chips。
2. The budget is 2000-4000: medium-end power, fully balanced, most worth buying
The price is the dominant market, the price increases are moderate and comprehensive, suitable for most people — student parties — to study, hit workers' offices, play audio, play light games。
Recommended type
- mi tablet 7 pro (8+128gb, $2799): quilloon 8s gen 3,12. 1 ' 3. 2 k 144 hz self-adapted to high-screen, 10,000 mah + 67w quick fill, 8-speaker duby panorama, supporting low-delayed hand pen. Performance, screens, continuity, sound effects are all the first stage, the most balanced flagship in the range of $3,000, one step in place。
11. 5s soft version (8+128gb, 1999 state supplement): os 5. 0,11. 5 ' 120 hz soft-light screen, full eye-protective, suitable for long learning, notes, pc-level wps, caj readers, office efficiency。
- magicpad (8+256gb, 299 yuan) on the glorious platoon: 8 gen2, 12. 3 ' 2. 8k 120hz screen, 8,800 mah battery + 40w quick filling, hope, multi-equipment, suitable for commercial office。
Ipad 2022 (64gb wlan version, $3599): a14 chips, high performance, ipados flow, software optimization, and support apple pencil, suitable for learning, low-intensity creation, for over five years。
Selected procurement points
- performance: priority 8s gen3, 8 gen2, a14, with three to five years for these chips。
- screen: 2k+ resolution, 120hz refreshing, no return from high-level brushes, more fluid follow-up, games, handwritten writing。
- continuation of flight: over 8,000 mah, close to 30 w, without frequent charging。
- ecology: apple users choose ipad, china selects hongmong tablets, millet/andre users select millet, glory and ecological synergy。
3. Budget of more than $4,000: high-end flagship, productivity + creation preferred
The price is suitable for professionals, creators, game fever friends, full configuration, experience the highest level, and higher prices have a relatively small impact on this group。
Recommended type
- ipad air 4 (12+256gb, $4199): m1 chip, performance pair notebook, 11-inch liquid retina screen, support apple pencil pro and a good-control keyboard, suitable for cutting 4k videos, ps, lr, first choice for creation。
- small rice tablet 7 ultra (12+512gb, $5999): 8-to-hot version of qinlong, 12. 1 "3. 2k 144hz screen, 10,000 mah battery + 100w fast charge, eight loudspeakers, support for high precision handwritten pens, games, creativity。
- china is matepad pro 12. 2 (8+256gb, $4599): cylindrium, 9,000s, 12. 2 " 2. 8k 120hz screen, hondon os 5. 0, pc level, multi-equipment, commercial office ceiling。
- ipad pro m5 (11 inches 12+256gb, $899): m5 chip, performance top, liquid retina xdr screen, support apple pencil pro and mystery keyboard, professional creation, design, editing first selection。
Selected procurement points
- performance: m series, eight-to-four editions of the dragon, performance without bottlenecks, 5-6 years。
- screen: 2. 8k+resolution, 120hz promotion, showing effect, top of handwritten experience。
- appliances: priority is given to primary handwritten pens, magnetic keyboards, full productivity。
Storage: 256 gb start, 512 gb is more secure, and professional creation requires large storage。
4. Guidelines for general procurement of pits
1. Storage: 8+128 gb from the anjo tablet, ipad64 gb from the start, with a budget of 256 gb directly and without sufficient storage to allow for expansion。
2. High priority: 120 hz is too fluent compared to 60 hz, especially handwritten, game-playing, slide screens, and experience gaps are evident。
3. Eco-matching: mobile phones, tablets, computers and brands, multiple devices are easier to coordinate, e. G. Apples delivered in isolation, chinese super terminals, millet connectivity。
4. Just had to be bought: if the old tablet was still working, it would not be necessary to switch to the wind, and it would be more cost-effective to wait until 2027 for production capacity to be reduced and prices to fall。
5. A missing national supplement: in 2026, a portion of the tablet was subsidized by the state, which could save hundreds of dollars before buying it。
Iv. Conclusion: price increases are painful and rational consumption is more important
The 2026 flat-bed surge was essentially a supply chain restructuring brought about by the outbreak of the ai industry, rather than a deliberate price increase by the manufacturer. The three main factors that hold the chips out of production capacity by ai, the sharp increase in costs and the lack of capacity will not be resolved in the short term, so tablet prices will remain high。
For ordinary people, there is no need to be anxious. The entry fee of $1,000-2000 is sufficient, the full capacity of the selected end of the line is 2000-4,000, and over $4,000 is for the high-end flagship. Just buy it, wait, spend it rationally, and don't waste money。
Finally, i'd like to ask you: are you planning to buy a tablet recently? How much is the budget? More focused on performance, screens or re-routing? Welcome to the comment section and share the selection experience
