Samsung phones, tablets, watches, laptops using Qualcomm chips may get pricier as chipmaker plans price hikes

Samsung has used Qualcomm chipsets in many of its smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and laptops. The brand is likely to continue doing so, especially for its premium products, including Galaxy S and Galaxy Z smartphones, Galaxy Tab S tablets, Galaxy Watch wearables, and Galaxy Book Edge laptops. However, there’s some bad news for people planning to buy these devices in the future.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said, “The semiconductor industry is experiencing a broad-based increase in input costs, across wafer fabrication, assembly, test, advanced packaging, memory and other materials.” As a result, he added, “prices [of its chipsets] are going to go up” (via CNBC).

If Qualcomm raises the prices of its chipsets, Samsung will have a few options for products that use Qualcomm chips. It could pass the additional cost on to customers by increasing the prices of its smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and laptops. 

Alternatively, it could absorb the higher costs by accepting lower profit margins, although that seems unlikely given the continued rise in memory prices. Another possibility is that Samsung relies more heavily on its in-house Exynos chipsets, at least for smartphones, tablets, and wearables.