Will 2026 Be The Most Expensive Year For Tech? Here's What Consumer Reports Says

If you have big plans to buy tech in 2026, you may be out of luck. According to recent research from Consumer Reports, tech this year will likely cost more than ever. There is one easy factor to point to that is responsible for these soaring prices: artificial intelligence (AI).

As AI tech sees a huge surge of development, causing more data centers to be created, it has put increased pressure on the need for RAM for AI memory, computer chips, hard drives, and more that are all needed to meet tech company demands for their artificial intelligence goals. This strain on the market is likely to increase the cost of everyday tech for the average person, even those who don't use AI at all. For example, the anticipated Steam Machine is going to cost more than you think, likely due to AI needs driving up material costs.

You may have already seen some price increases, but the cushion of the holiday season has shielded the average customer from these rising costs. Companies have prioritized enticing sales and getting rid of old inventory at the turn of the new year. Now that the holidays are behind us, a daunting future of buying very expensive tech lies ahead, and companies are already forecasting negative impacts on the 2026 market for product sales.

Consumer Reports tracked the price of a 32GB kit of RAM, which was $90 in September 2025. By December 2025, the cost of that same product had increased to a staggering $350. There likely won't be much tech that isn't impacted by this price pressure as manufacturers seek to make more products for high-paying AI tech giants and simultaneously see their inventory get cleaned out as the products they have are quickly bought up to meet AI needs.

AI-driven chip shortages could make your next smartphone cost more. Parts to upgrade your computers, and even just purchasing a new computer itself, may go up in price. It won't ultimately matter if it is a full desktop computer or a small tablet. All of them need RAM and other hardware that AI is currently gobbling up. Other smart devices, such as televisions, could also be affected.

If you do think you've stumbled across a good deal on a tech item, double-check its specs. Consumer Reports points out that one way companies will try to keep attracting buyers despite the prices is by offering items of reduced performance for lower than the rising costs. For example, a similar product model may carry the same price as it did before, but it could offer less memory storage and lower graphics performance.

All of this is tiring out some who don't want to spend more on tech and who don't have the best perception of AI anyway. A Reddit forum on the topic had comments that spoke of AI tech becoming rapidly obsolete and thus a waste of money and resources, those saying that they expect new tech to have worse performance as a result, and some hopeful comments that this AI boom won't last. If the AI bubble pops and drags down the economy and some tech companies with it, perhaps a drop in price will happen. For now, though, we can look to other ways to save money.

If you have a specific tech item you want, you should buy it as soon as possible. Prices aren't likely to get any lower. Additionally, check the costs at multiple different retailers to find the best deal. Not everyone will raise prices the same amount at the same time, so you may be able to find something reasonable. Shopping for older models, used tech, and even refurbished items could also go a long way in saving you money as well. New tech is almost always priced higher, anyway, and with companies like Microsoft now integrating its AI Copilot into its products, older tech could be a good way to avoid some of those rising costs.