As AI drives up memory costs, is it time To rethink your device strategy?

Rising memory costs are creating fresh pressure for PC and smartphone manufacturers. A major driver is the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the build-out of new AI infrastructure, which is absorbing a growing share of global memory supply.

Manufacturers are increasingly prioritising components for AI data centres, where margins are often higher than in traditional device categories. Yet memory chips, including DRAM and SSD storage, remain essential to the performance of the laptops, tablets and smartphones organisations rely on every day to empower their frontline workforce. Reports predict up to a 130% surge in combined DRAM and solid-state drive (SSD) prices by the end of 2026, adding further cost pressure across the device market.

At the same time, the growth of AI is exposing just how fragile the semiconductor supply chain can be. Semiconductors sit at the heart of every modern device, and geopolitical disruption continues to create uncertainty around access to critical materials and manufacturing capacity. For businesses already managing large fleets of devices, this is not just a procurement issue. It is a strategic one.

As new hardware becomes more expensive and less predictable to source, organisations should take the opportunity to challenge the long-standing “rip and replace” mindset. Rather than defaulting to the newest models, businesses have both an opportunity and a responsibility to extend the life of the devices they already own – creating a more sustainable and cost-effective strategy.

The Cost of a Discard Mentality

A throwaway approach to enterprise technology places unnecessary strain on both budgets and the environment. In the UK, the scale of the issue is hard to ignore. A recent report showed that more than 880 million unwanted electrical items are sitting unused in UK homes, representing a vast stock of valuable materials that are not being reused, repaired or recycled. In addition, an estimated 25 million mobile phones are disposed of each year across the UK.

The same mindset often exists within organisations, where devices are frequently replaced prematurely due to limited visibility into their condition, performance, or remaining value —rather than because the hardware is unusable. This leads to avoidable cost, unnecessary waste and missed opportunities to recover more value from existing technology investments.

Sustainability and operational performance can no longer be seen as competing priorities. Extending the lifespan of devices is not only good for the environment, but also a smart way to cut costs, strengthen resilience and extract more value from existing technology investments. Although awareness of Green IT and device longevity is growing, there remains a clear gap between understanding the issue and acting on it. Organisations that prioritise maintaining, updating and repairing devices during their active lifecycle, rather than replacing them too early, can reduce unnecessary spending and curb e-waste at the same time. The scale of this opportunity is clear in SOTI’s Reduce Reuse Rethink: From Discard Mentality to Tech Sustainability report, which found that 69% of global IT decision-makers identified mobile phones as the device most often discarded unnecessarily.

Replacing Reactive Refresh Cycles with Proactive Management

Most modern organisations depend on a broad mix of devices to keep operations running, from laptops and tablets to smartphones, printers and scanners. Digital progression and green computing can no longer be treated as separate priorities if businesses are to avoid driving e-waste even higher.

SOTI’s research suggests that while many IT leaders recognise the importance of extending device lifespan, a clear gap remains between awareness and action. More than two-thirds of IT leaders in UK businesses say regular software updates are important for helping devices last longer, yet too many organisations still replace hardware before it is truly necessary. Adopting Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) strategies can help bridge that gap by giving organisations the tools and operational visibility needed to manage devices more proactively.

With greater insight into device health, battery performance, software updates and usage trends, IT teams can spot early signs of degradation, address issues before they escalate and avoid replacing devices that are still fit for purpose. This allows businesses to maintain, secure, diagnose and repair existing devices more effectively, strengthening digital performance, improving budget efficiency and extending the lifecycle of critical technology.

A practical example of this approach can be seen at U.S.-based logistics provider iDC Logistics (iDC). Using SOTI MobiControl XS, powered by SOTI MobiControl and SOTI XSight, iDC uses SOTI XSight Battery Dashboards to analyse and optimise battery performance, prolong battery life and predict failures before they happen. Greater visibility into battery health enables iDC to identify early signs of degradation, replace batteries proactively and optimise charging practices, extending device lifespans while reducing unnecessary hardware replacements.

This approach also aligns with the broader regulatory direction in Europe. The EU Batteries Regulation, which entered into force on 17 August 2023, is intended to make batteries placed on the EU market more sustainable and circular throughout their life cycle, reinforcing the case for better battery visibility, maintenance and reuse.

This type of management strategy can significantly reduce the “swap mentality” within an organisation, helping businesses respond to immediate supply chain pressures caused by rising memory costs while also reducing waste, limiting employee downtime and building more resilient, sustainable long-term operations.

Building A More Sustainable Device Strategy

For some organisations, a diagnose-and-reuse model may once have seemed at odds with digital transformation goals. But that assumption no longer holds. In a market shaped by volatile component costs and constrained supply, extending device life is becoming a business necessity.

Proactive health monitoring, remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance can help organisations keep devices in service for longer without compromising performance or security. This is good for budgets, good for operational resilience and good for sustainability targets.

As memory costs rise and supply chain uncertainty continues, the question is no longer whether businesses can afford to move away from a rip-and-replace culture. It is whether they can afford not to.