Computer prices have remained fairly steady for years, but that could all change in the next month or two. Starting next month, Acer PCs are going up, and this could be just the beginning of higher computer prices across the board.
Acer PC Prices Rising By 10 Percent
Acer is typically seen as a more budget-friendly brand, offering a good blend of value and features. In my personal experience, my Acer had the best battery life out of most brands I’ve owned.
If you’re looking to cash in and save a little dough by opting for an Acer, buy one now. The company just announced a 10-percent price increase, due to Donald Trump’s tariffs. To be fair, Jason Chen, Acer’s CEO, was transparent about the increase and stated that pricing would only increase as much as the tariffs.
So far, Acer is the first brand to announce an increase. When should you expect it? All new stock coming out of China after February are subject to the new pricing model. If you catch a good deal on Amazon or see one out at your local Walmart, buy it now before new stock comes in.
Depending on the type of Acer PC you want, a 10-percent increase could range from $30 to over $100 per device. It may not seem like much, but if hardware component manufacturers raise prices as well, Acer and other brands may be forced to increase prices even further.
To reduce the chance of future tariffs impacting pricing, Acer is exploring alternative manufacturing locations, including the U.S. However, the cost of production is notably higher in the U.S., which wouldn’t help lower costs.
Despite initial promises that tariffs wouldn’t raise costs, President Trump has admitted that costs may rise. In fact, costs actually rose during this first term, which resulted in some manufacturers, including Acer, moving their assembly processes out of China. That doesn’t mean those processes moved to the U.S. though. The goal overall is to bring more jobs back to the U.S. to eventually lower prices.
Other Brands Likely to Follow
Brands like HP, Dell, Lenovo, and others are likely to follow in Acer’s footsteps. However, some manufacturers boosted their production well before Trump began his second term. The brands stockpiled devices to avoid the impact of any tariffs, at least for a while.
Chen does speculate that some brands may take this as an opportunity to raise prices well beyond the current 10-percent tariffs on China. And, if a trade war arises, tariff percentages could jump well beyond 10 percent, giving PC manufacturers even more reason to drastically increase pricing.
While Apple has moved much of its manufacturing to the U.S., some components are still imported from China, so Apple products could increase right alongside PCs.
Even if trade agreements are reached or all components are manufactured in the U.S., prices may still remain higher as brands take advantage of extra profits.
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