On October 9, amid the continued and dramatic surge in memory chip prices, nearly all smartphone manufacturers downstream are unable to bear the heavy cost pressure and have been forced to raise the retail prices of their flagship models.
According to leaks from tech enthusiasts, starting today, the entire Xiaomi 17 Ultra series has seen a uniform price increase of 1,000 yuan. Before publishing this article, the author verified on Xiaomi's official website that the pricing for all available versions has indeed been adjusted.
The adjusted pricing details are as follows:The starting price for the standard edition of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has risen from 6,999 yuan to 7,999 yuan. Specifically, the 12GB+512GB version increased from 6,999 yuan to 7,999 yuan, the 16GB+512GB version from 7,499 yuan to 8,499 yuan, and the 16GB+1TB version from 8,499 yuan to 9,499 yuan.
The higher-end Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition has also seen its starting price rise from 7,999 yuan to 8,999 yuan. The 16GB+512GB version increased from 7,999 yuan to 8,999 yuan, while the 16GB+1TB version went from 8,999 yuan to 9,999 yuan.
Many previously speculated that this price hike was intended to pave the way for the next generation of new devices. However, given the typical flagship release cycle, it is still more than half a year until the next model launches, making such a move seem premature. The core driver behind this across-the-board 1,000 yuan increase is primarily to offset the substantial cost pressure caused by the skyrocketing prices of memory chips.
Many industry analysts have pointed out that even top-tier manufacturers like Xiaomi, which ships tens of millions of units annually and holds strong bargaining power in the supply chain, have had to raise flagship phone prices by 1,000 yuan shortly after launch. This clearly demonstrates that the current surge in storage component costs far exceeds market expectations from earlier this year, and other brands are likely to follow suit with varying degrees of price increases for their high-memory flagship models.