Price Hike: Inflation will hit the pocket again. Prices of AC, TV and smartphones will increase again, know the reason.

News India Live, Digital Desk: If you are planning to buy a new smartphone, smart TV or a new AC to get relief from the scorching heat, then this news is important for you. There is going to be another big increase of 5 to 15 percent in the prices of consumer electronics and home appliances by the end of April. This is the third major price increase of this year after January and February, which has shaken the budget of the middle class. Why are smartphones and smart TVs becoming expensive? The biggest reason behind the rise in the prices of smartphones and TVs is considered to be ‘AI tax’ and the global chip crisis. Shortage of memory chips: Companies like NVIDIA and Google are building AI data centers on a large scale, due to which there is a huge shortage of DRAM and NAND memory chips. Due to this, the cost of components has increased by 50% to 170%. Cost of AI features: The need for AI-focused processor and more RAM (12GB-16GB) in new smartphones has increased the production cost. Estimated increase: Smartphone prices may increase by 10-15% and TV prices may increase by 7-10%. ‘Triple attack’ on AC and fridge There is also a huge increase in the prices of conditioner (AC) and refrigerator (Refrigerator). There are three main reasons for this: Raw materials: Global prices of copper, steel and aluminum have increased. New energy standards: Manufacturing costs have increased due to the new star rating rules of BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency), which came into effect from January 2026. Now the new 5-star ACs are 10% more efficient than before, but are also expensive. Logistics and Dollar: Due to the weakness of the rupee against the dollar and tensions in the sea lanes (Red Sea and Hormuz), the cost of freight has increased. Which companies are increasing the prices? Blue Star and Daikin: These companies have indicated a price increase of 5% to 12% since April.Haier and LG: They have increased the prices of 3-star ACs. And prices have been increased by about 7% to 10% on 5-star models. Smartphone brands: Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi have also indicated an additional increase of up to 10% on select models. Is there still a chance to save? Experts say that old stock is still available on many e-commerce platforms and retail stores before the full price increase is implemented. Apart from this, consumers can still get some relief through credit card offers and no-cost EMIs from banks. However, when the stock with new MRP comes into the market from next month, these products will become completely expensive.