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Prices of streaming devices have risen sharply in recent weeks. Apple first introduced steep price increases, and was later joined by Roku and Amazon. For some models, prices have risen by as much as tens of percent, and Walmart Onn devices have at times more than doubled in price. All signs suggest the high cost of memory could continue to push electronics prices up for some time.
Streaming getting more expensive. Amazon significantly raises Fire TV prices
After earlier price hikes from Apple and Roku, it's now Amazon's turn, as the company has decided to raise prices across its entire Fire TV range. The changes affect both the popular Fire TV Stick streaming sticks and the considerably pricier Fire TV Cube. The smallest increase applies to the Fire TV Stick HD, which rose from $34.99 to $39.99. A much larger rise hit the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, whose price went up from $49.99 to $69.99. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max became even more expensive, now costing $84.99 instead of the previous $59.99. This represents an approximate 42 per cent price increase. However, the biggest increase in Amazon's lineup was for the Fire TV Cube. Its price rose from $139.99 to as much as $199.99, an increase of nearly 43 per cent. Roku earlier increased the prices of its devices by up to 60 per cent, and Apple raised the price of the Apple TV 4K 128 GB from $149 to $249. For Apple, that represents a 67 per cent rise, one of the largest increases in the whole segment. Manufacturers explain these changes mainly by rising costs of RAM and storage memory chips. The problem is particularly apparent in devices that use similar components at scale.
Google TV Streamer still without a price hike
Against that backdrop, the situation of the Google TV Streamer looks interesting, with its price still around $100. The device is one of the last major products of its kind that hasn't yet been hit by price increases caused by the memory price crisis. It's unclear how long Google will be able to maintain the current price. The older Nvidia Shield TV is in a similar position, although its age makes it hard to treat as a direct alternative to all the newer devices. Meanwhile, Walmart's Onn products have already increased in price in some cases by more than 100 percent. The Onn Full HD Streaming Stick rose from $14.88 to $29.98, an increase of over 101 percent. That shows how strongly component costs can affect even the cheapest devices. Amazon uses MediaTek chips in its sticks, while Roku mainly relies on Realtek solutions. The Google TV Streamer also uses a MediaTek SoC, and Onn devices are based on Amlogic platforms. If memory prices keep rising, further price increases in this segment seem very likely. For users, that means buying a new streaming stick could soon cost significantly more than it did just a few months ago.
Rising prices for RAM and storage chips are starting to hit the streaming device market hard. Apple, Roku, Amazon and Walmart have raised the prices of their products, and for some models the increase has exceeded 50 per cent and even 100 per cent. So far the Google TV Streamer, among others, has not raised its price, but it's hard to predict whether the maker will hold the current price. The memory crisis is increasingly showing that its effects are felt not only by PC and console manufacturers, but also by everyday users who stream.
source: flatpanelshd
