Have you ever noticed how the price of a product suddenly jumps almost overnight? That’s exactly how I felt when I recently checked the price of a SanDisk 128GB microSD card.
A few months ago, I bought a SanDisk 128GB microSD card for around IDR 350,000. At the time, I thought it was a reasonable price for something I use regularly to store photos, videos, and editing projects.
A few weeks ago, I was planning to buy another one because my storage is almost full. I assumed the price would be about the same as when I bought my first card. However, when I checked online, I was genuinely shocked. The exact same SanDisk 128GB microSD card is now selling for around IDR 600,000 to IDR 680,000 in many stores. I couldn’t believe the price had nearly doubled.
At first, I wondered if the increase was related to the situation in the Gulf region or other global events affecting supply chains. I decided to wait for a while, hoping the price would eventually come back down. Unfortunately, it never did. Instead, the prices remained high, which made me even more curious about what was really causing the increase.
The surprise didn’t stop there. A few months ago, I also bought a SanDisk 1TB portable SSD for around IDR 1.9 million. When I checked the current price, I was shocked once again. The same drive is now selling for approximately IDR 3.5 million. Seeing the prices of both my microSD card and SSD rise so dramatically made me realize this wasn’t just an isolated case.
At first, I assumed this dramatic price increase was happening only in Indonesia. However, after reading several industry reports and checking prices in other countries, I realized this isn’t just a local issue. The same trend is happening in many parts of the world.
As someone who creates travel content, reliable storage isn’t just another accessory. It’s an essential part of my workflow. Every trip, every video, every photo, and every editing project depends on having fast and dependable storage. Seeing these prices increase so dramatically made me curious enough to do some research.
What I discovered was quite surprising. The main reason wasn’t geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region. Instead, the increase has been driven largely by changes in the global memory market. Since late 2025, NAND flash memory prices have risen because of tighter supply, production cuts by manufacturers, and growing demand from AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and large-scale data centers. As manufacturers shifted more production toward higher-value memory products, the supply of consumer storage devices became more limited.
As a result, memory cards, portable SSDs, and other storage products have become significantly more expensive in many countries, not just Indonesia.
Looking back, I never imagined that a microSD card I bought for around IDR 350,000 would now cost nearly IDR 650,000, or that a portable SSD I purchased for IDR 1.9 million would climb to around IDR 3.5 million within just a few months. It’s a reminder of how quickly the technology market can change and how global supply chains can affect the products many of us rely on every day.
I hope prices become more stable as supply catches up with demand. Until then, I’ll definitely think twice before buying another storage device.
Have you noticed similar price increases for memory cards, SSDs, or other tech accessories where you live? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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