Flagship Android phones may cost more due to rising chip prices

This isn't the first time we've heard about the rising cost of next-gen chips. In June, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted an even bigger jump, estimating a 25-30% increase.

Tipster Ice Universe also chimed in, pointing to a 20.68% rise for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Whether it's closer to 20% or 30%, one thing's for sure – both flagship processors are seeing a price bump this year.

If manufacturers are shelling out more for these key components, you can bet they'll pass that cost on to consumers. So, I would not be surprised if flagship phones, packing these two chipsets, get more expensive this year and into 2025.

The tricky part is figuring out exactly how much this will impact the final price of phones. After all, they will probably see a bump in cost, but it won't be the full amount of the chip's price increase.

Now, you may wonder whether the higher price tag is justified? Well, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is set to bring some significant upgrades this year. This new SoC will be Qualcomm's first to include its own Oryon cores, and early benchmarks indicate a pretty impressive performance boost.

On the other hand, MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 will feature ARM's most powerful Cortex-X925 core. It recently achieved the highest AnTuTu benchmark score ever recorded for an Android phone.