# Memory costs could mean fewer watch discounts in 2027

Source: https://idevice.com/memory-costs-could-mean-fewer-watch-discounts-in-2027
Published: 2026-11-08

> Garmin's cheap memory stock is running down, but its prices haven't jumped. Expect thinner sales and smaller storage upgrades before bigger price tags.

Your next smartwatch may not cost more on the sticker, but you could still end up paying more for it. AI servers are soaking up memory chips, and suppliers are putting that business first. TrendForce expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise another 10 to 15% this quarter, and NAND flash, the storage kind, 15 to 20%.

On its latest earnings call, Garmin said memory it bought earlier at lower prices had partly protected it. That stock is running down, so the pricier chips will start to show up in its costs. [Gadgets & Wearables](https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2026/11/06/wearable-prices-2027-memory-costs-ai/) pulled that together with a check of Garmin's launch prices.

The average starting price of the watch families Garmin launched rose from about $673 in 2025 to about $1,000 in 2026, but two watches drive that: the $2,500 MARQ Gen 3 and the $1,600 tactix 8 Cerakote Edition. Without them the 2026 average is about $700, roughly 4% up. Garmin is selling more expensive watches, but it hasn't raised prices across the range.

Apple's John Ternus recently called memory pricing "unprecedented" and said Apple expects what it pays to keep rising past the December quarter. IDC has named wearables among the consumer electronics likely to feel the shortage, especially if supply stays tight well into 2027.

A 15% jump in memory doesn't make a watch 15% more expensive, because memory is only one part of what a watch costs to build. The likelier changes are quieter: storage that stays the same for another generation instead of doubling, and fewer good sales. A watch can launch at the same list price and spend less time at 15 or 20% off, and you've paid more without any price rise to point at.

Smart glasses look the most at risk as cameras, video recording, local AI and bigger storage become common. Rings and screenless trackers need far less memory, though cheap ones have less room to absorb even a small increase.

Nobody has announced a 2027 price rise because of this, and nobody knows yet how much will reach the price tag. If you're already planning to buy a watch and you see a good sale this season, there's no reason to hold out in the hope that next year's will be better. If your current watch is fine, keep it. This isn't a reason to buy something you don't need.

## Sources

- [Gadgets & Wearables](https://gadgetsandwearables.com/2026/11/06/wearable-prices-2027-memory-costs-ai/) (Gadgets & Wearables)