The increase in VAT, the introduction of a “technology tax” and mandatory labeling, as well as the global shortage of RAM, promise a significant price increase for equipment and gadgets in Russia in 2026.
Smartphone prices could increase by about 10%, and laptop prices by 20–30%, according to statements provided to Forbes by representatives of retailers and manufacturers.
According to Kirill Ageev, the purchasing department director of Merlion and Citilink, the new prices will already appear in the first quarter: PCs and tablets will become 7–20% more expensive, and in the second half of the year, the price increase for laptops could reach 30%, depending on the model.
Similar estimates are provided by Andrei Tarasov, the executive director of diHouse: depending on the type of device and the number of memory components used, computers and laptops could cost 30% more, and smartphones – about 12%. The electronics manufacturer Fplus predicts a price increase between 10 and 15%.
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