AI Boom Drives SSD, Memory Card Prices Up 50% at Hong Kong Computer Festival 2026
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival 2026 commenced on Monday at the Wan Chai Convention Centre, themed around artificial intelligence, with hundreds queuing before the 10am opening. The global AI boom has significantly strained semiconductor production capacity, driving hardware costs upward—particularly for solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory cards, which have surged approximately 50% compared to last year's event. Exhibitors are implementing various strategies to attract consumers despite the price hikes.
Key Points
- The Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival 2026 runs from Monday through next Monday (21st to 24th) at the Wan Chai Convention Centre
- The event's theme centers on AI, with exhibitors reporting portable SSDs and high-capacity memory cards are roughly 50% more expensive than last year's show
- Huang Jingqiu, marketing assistant manager at SanDisk agent Guanheng Group, noted the price increase wave has entered a stable phase but cannot yet be called finished
- Lenovo consumer product representative Mr. Hong said AI-enabled notebooks are driving sales, with the Ideapad Slim 5 priced at $7,999 including AI courses, headphones, a laptop bag, and antivirus software
- Exhibitors expect overall sales volume to match last year, but revenue may increase slightly due to higher hardware prices
Why It Matters
This event provides a real-time snapshot of how AI technology adoption is reshaping the consumer electronics market, with hardware costs rising substantially and vendors adapting their strategies to maintain competitiveness. Hong Kong consumers face higher prices for essential computing components, potentially affecting purchasing decisions for back-to-school and tech upgrade cycles.
This event provides a real-time snapshot of how AI technology adoption is reshaping the consumer electronics market, with hardware costs rising substantially and vendors adapting their strategies to maintain competitiveness. Hong Kong consumers face higher prices for essential computing components, potentially affecting purchasing decisions for back-to-school and tech upgrade cycles.