Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 17 Ultra at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 28. 2026.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi launched its newest flagship smartphones globally on Saturday as an unprecedented surge in reminiscence chip costs threatens to dampen gross sales.
The Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra signify the Chinese know-how large’s high tier units geared toward difficult the likes of Samsung and Apple within the high-end section of the market.
Xiaomi, which is the third-largest smartphone participant globally, has maintained the costs of the units versus last year’s flagship, even amid the large soar in reminiscence costs which are crucial for smartphones. The Xiaomi 17 begins at 999 euros ($1,179) whereas the Xiaomi 17 Ultra begins at 1,499 euros.
In the primary quarter of the 12 months to date, reminiscence costs have soared between 80% and 90%, Counterpoint Research mentioned. This surge has been pushed by a shortage of memory chips with supply being directed toward data centers for AI.
Memory is an costly element in a smartphone. Smartphone costs might rise 13% in 2026, in keeping with a Gartner forecast from Februrary. IDC forecasts the smartphone market to say no 12.9% in 2026 because of the chip crunch.
Analysts counsel firms promoting dearer telephones will likely be extra insulated and capable of take up the price.
The bulk of Xiaomi’s quantity comes from mid-range units, a class that might take a success to demand from any value rises. While its greater finish units will likely be unlikely to offset any losses.
“This year will be even worse because Xiaomi does not have a very strong premium share which means that they cannot rely on the premium segment to offset low margins in other devices like Apple and Samsung can,” Francisco Jeronimo, a vp for knowledge and analytics at IDC, advised CNBC.
In November, Xiaomi administration warned that the business would seemingly have to lift smartphone costs in 2026.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, mentioned that Xiaomi will seemingly should hike costs of their low-to-mid-tier units.
While Xiaomi nonetheless makes the majority of income client electronics, the corporate has been ramping up its electrical automobile enterprise in China, which now accounts for round 1 / 4 of all gross sales. That’s develop into an essential income amid the reminiscence crunch.
Xiaomi reported a 3% year-on-year decline in smartphone income within the September quarter, the final publicly-available monetary figures. But gross sales at its electrical automotive enterprise surged practically 200%.
