Xiaomi has officially announced a price increase for REDMI smartphones. This is not rumors or leaks. The president of the company’s mobile division, Lu Weibing, made a public statement about it. The reason is a global memory price crisis that has already gone beyond what the industry could have predicted. All Chinese smartphones are getting more expensive. REDMI is not the first here and certainly not the last. Let’s break down what happened, who it affects, and what to expect next.
REDMI smartphone fans, brace yourselves. Image: Lim Reviews
Rising Prices for Xiaomi Smartphones
The root of the problem is memory. Prices for RAM and internal storage modules over the past year have risen fourfold compared to last year’s lows. To understand the scale, look at the specific figures:
- a standard 12/256 GB module at its lowest cost about $30 (~2,400 ₽), and now it’s around $120 (~9,600 ₽);
- the 12/512 GB configuration has risen to $210 (~16,900 ₽);
- 16 GB + 1 TB variants have increased in price disproportionately even against this backdrop.
Memory is precisely the component found in every smartphone without exception. When it quadruples in price, a manufacturer faces a tough choice: raise the price or cut specifications. Xiaomi chose the former. This is more honest than silently installing less storage for the same money. Rising smartphone prices in this context are inevitable, and REDMI simply acknowledged this publicly.
Which REDMI Smartphones Have Become More Expensive
The price increase takes effect on April 11, 2026 and applies to specific models in the Chinese market:
- REDMI K90 Pro Max: the base price will increase by approximately 200 yuan (~2,300 ₽);
- REDMI Turbo 5 and Turbo 5 Max: temporary New Year promotional prices are being cancelled, and the price returns to standard levels.
It’s worth separately noting the decision regarding the 512 GB storage version: despite the rising costs, Xiaomi is maintaining a 200 yuan subsidy specifically for this configuration. This means the company is deliberately absorbing part of the blow to avoid scaring off buyers who choose a large storage capacity. This is a non-trivial decision — REDMI prices in top configurations could have risen significantly more. Fortunately, all changes currently apply exclusively to the Chinese market.
Xiaomi Prices in Russia
There is no direct answer to this question. Xiaomi has not given specific timelines for the global market. But there is an important indicator: at MWC 2026 in March, Lu Weibing directly warned that the memory price growth cycle is a long-term story. The company’s internal estimates suggest that component costs will continue rising at least until the end of 2027.
In Russia, we will also feel the price increase. Image: C4ETech English
Smartphones are getting more expensive, and this is not a local Chinese problem. The same memory crisis is hitting Samsung, vivo, OPPO, and everyone without exception. Smartphone prices in 2026 will be higher than in 2025. This is now a fact that manufacturers have begun to acknowledge publicly. Russia is no exception in this regard: REDMI phone prices in our market have historically followed global trends with a slight lag.
Should You Buy a Xiaomi Smartphone?
The practical conclusion from all of the above is simple. If you’re looking at a specific model and the current price works for you, the logic of “I’ll wait, maybe it’ll get cheaper” works against the buyer in the current conditions. Xiaomi prices are not going down in the foreseeable future. The rising component costs are not temporary turbulence but a structural shift in the supply chain that manufacturers themselves estimate will last at least a year and a half.
Xiaomi prices will gradually adapt to the new reality. But the direction of movement is already clear.
