The company recently launched its entry-level Redmi K90 with 12 GB memory and 256 GB storage, starting from 2,599 yuan ($364). The price is slightly higher than the previous Redmi K80’s base model, which was 2,499 yuan when released in November 2024.
Xiaomi admitted that the global surge in memory chip prices has made production more expensive, leading to the increased retail price. The announcement came after fans expressed disappointment over the pricing of the new series, which many expected to be more affordable.
Despite the backlash, Xiaomi remains confident that the Redmi K90 will perform well in the market due to its improved performance and new features.
The small jump in Redmi K90’s price reflects global supply pressure on tech components. Xiaomi’s challenge is to keep users loyal while balancing rising production costs. It shows how even small changes in chip prices can affect what consumers pay.
"Cost pressure has transferred to the pricing of our new products," President Lu Weibing wrote on Weibo. "Rising costs of memory chips are far beyond expectations and could intensify."
Read more: iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro: What’s the real difference?
Lu noted consumer disappointment about price gaps between configurations. He said Xiaomi will lower the price of the most in-demand K90 model - with 12 GB memory and 512 GB storage - by 300 yuan to 2,899 yuan for the first month of sales.
A global rush for chips for use in artificial intelligence applications has tightened supply of conventional chips used in smartphones, personal computers and servers, sharply increasing their cost and boosting earnings for makers of NAND and DRAM such as South Korean duo Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
($1 = 7.1230 Chinese yuan renminbi)
