SD and microSD card prices, long seen as cheap and stable storage devices, are surging in 2026. As the artificial intelligence (AI) industry expands and memory demand explodes, an analysis says a so-called “AI memory tax” is also affecting the consumer market.

TechRadar, an IT outlet, reported on March 12 that the rise in SD card prices is seen as the result of a “global memory crisis” driven by production line shifts, strategic output cuts and rising component prices happening at the same time. It singled out reduced output of memory for SD cards as a key factor, as chip companies focus on producing higher-margin AI memory.

The price increases are steep. A SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro SDXC card sold for less than 20 pounds during Black Friday in 2025, and at one point fell to 14 pounds earlier. The same product now costs about 50 pounds, up about 100 percent in a year.

The situation is more extreme for high-speed, high-capacity products. Some high-performance SD cards have risen as much as 300 percent, and many models that were once easy to find are sold out or discontinued. Analysts say the price imbalance is worsening as demand for storage devices surges while supply fails to keep up.

The concern is that the upswing is unlikely to end quickly. Industry analysts expect prices to keep rising until memory supply increases with the expansion of the AI industry, and they forecast upward pressure will persist at least until mid-2026. Some also predict it could take as long as 18 months for prices to stabilise.

For consumers, the choice is not easy. If a new SD card is needed immediately, buying at current prices may be a practical option. If existing storage is sufficient, others advise that it is more reasonable to wait until prices stabilise.

Another caution is low-priced products. With prices surging, counterfeit products or faulty SD cards whose actual capacity differs from what is shown are more likely to appear on the market. Experts stress that choosing products from trusted brands is safer than buying ultra-cheap products from unverified brands.

As AI-driven memory demand surges and reaches unexpected corners, the memory crisis is spreading to a storage market that was once among the cheapest. It is a time for a cautious response rather than hasty purchases.