Is a flagship price hike on the way? Snapdragon 8 Gen4 and Dimensity 9400 successor models may break the 4000 yuan barrier

Is a flagship price hike on the way? Snapdragon 8 Gen4 and Dimensity 9400 successor models may break the 4000 yuan barrierRecently, a blogger revealed that a certain manufacturer's iterative flagship is tentatively priced at 4299 yuan (12GB+256GB), and claimed that most new flagships will be priced higher. This means that the next generation of flagship smartphones equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen4 and Dimensity 9400 will have a price tag exceeding 4000 yuan

Is a flagship price hike on the way? Snapdragon 8 Gen4 and Dimensity 9400 successor models may break the 4000 yuan barrier

Recently, a blogger revealed that a certain manufacturer's iterative flagship is tentatively priced at 4299 yuan (12GB+256GB), and claimed that most new flagships will be priced higher. This means that the next generation of flagship smartphones equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen4 and Dimensity 9400 will have a price tag exceeding 4000 yuan.

This news is not unfounded. Earlier, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in a report that the Snapdragon 8 Gen4 chip, scheduled for mass production in the second half of 2024, will see a 25%-30% price increase compared to the current flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen3, reaching 190 to 200 US dollars, equivalent to 1332 to 1402 yuan. This significant growth is primarily attributed to the adoption of TSMC's latest N3E manufacturing process, which has significantly increased costs.

Beyond the increase in chip costs, the continuous rise in memory prices has also added burdens for smartphone manufacturers. According to the latest report from market research organization TrendForce, DRAM memory prices experienced a quarterly increase of approximately 20% in the first quarter of 2024.

The combination of various cost increases has put immense pressure on flagship phone prices. Previously, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun announced at the launch of the Xiaomi 14 series that the Xiaomi 14 would be the last Xiaomi number series flagship starting at 3999 yuan. Lei Jun stated that Xiaomi aims to create better phones and will no longer be tied to this price range.

These signs suggest that the prices of future flagship phones may comprehensively cross the 4000 yuan mark. For consumers, this undeniably presents a significant challenge. However, as technology continuously advances, the performance and functionalities of flagship phones are also constantly improving, and higher prices may potentially deliver enhanced experiences. Ultimately, whether or not the higher prices are worth it is up to consumers to decide based on their individual needs and budgets.