Currys warns memory chip shortage will push up phone and laptop prices later this year

Currys has warned that smartphones and laptops are likely to get more expensive later in 2026 as AI-driven demand for memory and processing chips tightens supply.

Outgoing chief executive Alex Baldock said the shift is already affecting the market, with data centers and other AI infrastructure absorbing a larger share of the world's chip supply. That leaves less available for consumer electronics, including the phones and laptops sold by retailers such as Currys.

The warning came as the UK electricals chain reported annual results on July 2, 2026. Currys said it has brought forward stock and expects good supply of computing and mobile phones until at least September, but Baldock said the company expects cost-price inflation to build after that.

Baldock did not give a percentage or cash estimate for the price rises.

What Currys warned

Currys said the pressure is coming from memory chips, which are used across consumer devices. The company said AI and data-center demand are drawing on that supply more aggressively, creating the risk of tighter availability and higher component costs for mainstream electronics.

That matters because memory is a key input in smartphones and laptops, so even a supply squeeze that starts upstream can eventually show up in retail pricing. Currys is using its position as one of the UK’s biggest electricals sellers as an early signal that the strain is moving beyond servers and into consumer hardware.

Timing and stock levels

The company’s message was not that shortages are already disrupting shelves. Currys said it has already secured inventory for the near term, which should help it cover demand through the late summer period.

Its guidance points to a later inflection point. The retailer said supply of computing products and mobile phones should remain good until at least September, but it expects the market to become more difficult after that if chip conditions do not improve.

That gives shoppers a window in which current pricing may hold, but it also suggests the risk of increases rises as the year progresses.

Annual results backdrop

The warning arrived alongside annual results that showed improved profitability and revenue for Currys. That context matters because the price warning is not being presented as a sign of immediate operational stress. Instead, it reflects a broader change in chip allocation and pricing across the market.

Currys is the UK electricals retailer best known for phones, laptops and other consumer electronics. Its comments are significant because they come from a company that sees both supplier pressure and retail demand across a wide product range.

Why AI is part of the story

The bigger backdrop is the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure. More data centers means more demand for chips and chip-adjacent components, and that demand is increasingly competing with consumer devices for supply.

Currys' warning adds to a growing set of signals that the AI build-out is no longer only a story about servers and cloud providers. It is starting to spill into the pricing of everyday electronics sold to consumers.

Apple has already raised prices on some iPads and Macs, citing higher memory-chip costs, which supports the broader view that the shortage is affecting consumer hardware pricing beyond a single retailer.

What happens next

The immediate question is whether Currys' inventory position really holds through September and whether rivals begin issuing similar warnings this week or later this month.

Another open question is how quickly price increases spread from premium devices into mainstream phones and laptops. Baldock did not quantify the size of the expected rises, so the market still lacks a firm number on how large the pass-through could be.

For shoppers, the practical takeaway is that price stability may not last through the second half of 2026. For Currys and other electronics sellers, the test will be whether they can secure enough stock and keep pricing steady as AI demand continues to absorb memory-chip supply.