Xiaomi is raising prices on 11 smartphones and tablets, with increases of up to ¥20,000 (~US$130) landing in Japan from 1 September, per Android Authority. The Xiaomi price increase hits the 17T Pro and both POCO X8 Pro models hardest, after memory prices finally outgrew what the company could absorb.
The move comes from Xiaomi Japan, which announced the changes on its X account on 21 August. The company had previously swallowed rising component costs to keep prices competitive. It says that approach has reached its limit.
The recent cost increases have reached a level that is difficult for us to absorb through our own efforts alone, and we have been forced to revise prices on some existing products.
Xiaomi Japan
Xiaomi price increase: which models are affected?
The phones take a uniform ¥20,000 hike. Because the increase is a flat amount, the cheapest model on the list takes the biggest percentage hit: the POCO X8 Pro 8GB/256GB goes from ¥59,980 to ¥79,980, a rise of more than 30%.
| Model | Configuration | Old price | New price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 17T Pro | 12GB/256GB | ¥119,800 | ¥139,800 |
| Xiaomi 17T Pro | 12GB/512GB | ¥139,800 | ¥159,800 |
| POCO X8 Pro Max | 12GB/256GB | ¥79,980 | ¥99,980 |
| POCO X8 Pro Max | 12GB/512GB | ¥89,980 | ¥109,980 |
| POCO X8 Pro | 8GB/256GB | ¥59,980 | ¥79,980 |
| POCO X8 Pro | 8GB/512GB | ¥69,980 | ¥89,980 |
| POCO X8 Pro | 12GB/512GB | ¥74,980 | ¥94,980 |
Tablets see gentler increases: the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro rises by ¥5,000–¥10,000, the REDMI Pad 2 Pro by ¥2,000 and the REDMI Pad 2 by ¥3,000. Xiaomi and REDMI prices change at midnight on 1 September; the POCO line follows three days later.
Why the sudden price hike?
The memory crunch has been squeezing phone makers for a year, and Xiaomi’s numbers show the strain. The company’s second-quarter adjusted net profit fell 42.6% year on year to 6.2 billion yuan, with smartphone revenue down 7.5% and shipments down 26% to 31.2 million units, per Reuters. Omdia notes that with more than half its phones sold below US$200, Xiaomi is the most exposed of the top five vendors to memory inflation.
The pain is industry-wide. TrendForce says memory now accounts for 30–40% of a phone’s component cost, up from the traditional 10–15%, and IDC expects average phone prices to rise 14% this year to a record US$523. Apple is reportedly preparing price increases for the new iPhones launching next month — we have covered the DRAM shortage and the broader RAM price surge separately.
What it means if you’re shopping in the UAE
The increases are confirmed for Japan only — Xiaomi has not announced anything for the UAE. The 17T Series launched here in May, with the Xiaomi 17T Pro from AED 2,899, and existing local stock was bought at pre-hike component prices, so those shelves should not move retroactively.
The open question is what comes next. Xiaomi says the new REDMI Note 17 Pro Max 5G, launching next week, is being priced with “maximum consideration” for buyers — an admission that pricing decisions now have to be made around higher costs. If the crunch reaches UAE launches, the next Redmi Note and POCO phones are where it would show.
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Will Xiaomi prices rise in the UAE?
No UAE price changes have been announced. The increases are confirmed for Japan only, and existing local stock was bought at pre-hike component prices. The new REDMI Note 17 Pro Max 5G, launching next week, is being priced with ‘maximum consideration’ for buyers and will be the first sign of whether the memory crunch reaches UAE launches.
Why is Xiaomi raising phone prices?
Xiaomi says memory prices have risen to a level it can no longer absorb after a year of swallowing higher component costs. Its second-quarter adjusted net profit fell 42.6% year on year and smartphone shipments dropped 26%, per Reuters. TrendForce says memory now accounts for 30-40% of a phone’s component cost, up from the traditional 10-15%.
Which Xiaomi models are affected by the price increase?
The Xiaomi 17T Pro (both storage configs), the POCO X8 Pro and POCO X8 Pro Max (five configs total) each rise by a flat ¥20,000 (~US$130). Tablets see smaller increases: the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro by ¥5,000-10,000, the REDMI Pad 2 Pro by ¥2,000 and the REDMI Pad 2 by ¥3,000. Xiaomi and Redmi prices change on 1 September, POCO on 4 September.
