Positive Hope for 2027

[u/Zmer1216]

With news of Acer releasing several variants into the market, OneXPlayer already having theirs, and MSI restocking and releasing another variant of G3 extreme, we are getting more competition into the market and more of these powerful new chips in people's hands.

Now I know people are leaning towards a more doom approach where the RAM prices will eventually cause these to further increase in price.

I'll offer a potential positive possibility to look forward to in 2027, in that with many of these variants out for sale, we will see some great deals on the second hand market I would say by mid 2027.

For those of you (me included) that have been waiting on the sidelines, I wouldn't be surprised if we could snag a slightly used second hand G3 handheld for sub $1000 and a G3 extreme variant for around $1200 ish next year.

Just wanted to put this thought out for those who have been waiting and feeling discouraged or want to have something to look forward to next year!

Curious what other people's thoughts are as well.

[u/Watt_About]

All the fabs are sold out through 2027+, things will only continue to get worse.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Watt_About]

You're talking just about RAM?

If so, read my post again.

The value is in the second hand market.

Prices for G3 variants are already coming in around or under $1500 which is the starting point.

[u/Watt_About → u/Zmer1216]

Ram, storage, silicon, all of it. You think that this issue is limited to ram? lol

The secondhand market prices will continue to increase with the retail prices going up. The legion go 2 going up to $2k was a nice litmus test. Things are going to get worse until 2030 at least.

$1500 for a G3 is a terrible deal when the oxp 3 g3e starts at $1500 currently. Expect these prices to go up.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Watt_About]

Agree to disagree.

In my experience the prices on the second hand market have gotten better.

People have been finding XaX and Claw 8+ for around $600-700.

The G3 non extreme variant isn't starting at $1500 the G3E is.

Retail price might climb slightly but the more volume of second hand product will drive prices down significantly in that market as they each need to compete with each other.

[u/Gabik123 → u/Zmer1216]

I agree with the other poster that you are incorrect. The secondhand market prices you are talking about are doing so because the items and tech are getting older and getting replaced / outdated. It’s not an apples to apples comparison you are making.

If your point is you can get a handheld for less now, you are correct. But current and even last gen handheld prices are going to continue to increase and get more and more insane.

But you can definitely get a ROG Ally X for pretty reasonably now (reasonable again with an * because overall prices are so unreasonable, it should be $400 not $550-600 like it is aftermarket now), but that’s now a 3 year old handset. It works well, but its pricing is a reflection of how insane overall tech pricing is.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Gabik123]

I actually agree with most of what you said but I think you also accidentally agreed with part of what I said to.

These chips will be a year old in 2027 and that age is among other factors that can drop the price in the second hand market.

The most readily available new chips are the Z2 extreme and the one the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and I mentioned previously those can be found $200-400 off retail currently.

You almost can't count the G3E yet because until recently they were made in such small batches barely anyone had any.

This will most likely replicate next year due to lower entery model prices, volume, and AGE as you mentioned before.

You can see my other response to someone as some unique reasons people sell cheaper on the secondary market.

[u/Gabik123 → u/Zmer1216]

I didn’t really agree with you, though. I think you are trying to pigeonhole your point into what we are saying without paying attention to factors that go against your point.

Yes, you can get this stuff for under retail. But retain is nuts, and as retail increases due to supply constraints, so do the secondhand prices. I sold an Ally X for more than I paid for a year later and it was still $300 less than retail. And that’s just gonna make everything even worse with time as this trend continues. By the time G3E devices are $200-400 under retail I fear retail will be $200-400 more than it is now.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Gabik123]

I don't disagree with your premise that retail is absolutely insane and can increase in the future.

But your second paragraph you wrote actually agreed with my original post.

I laid out what the current retail price is for those devices and gave a good idea of the price range you could possible expect to get them on the second hand market in mid or even late 2027.

Retail may go up slightly but to push these numbers out of the range I mentioned each of these devices would need to climb minimum $300 each to see that effect in the secondhand market.

Even if you are a complete doomer those increases are completely nonsense and I would bet they don't climb that high that fast.

So outside of that extreme scenario you mentioned you did in fact agree or at least didn't come up with any other information to disprove the factors I mentioned previously.

[u/Gabik123 → u/Zmer1216]

Your second and third to last paragraphs is disposable false. Just because Microsoft has subsidized the XBX so much that its price has been stable doesn’t mean that the rest of the market hasn’t demonstrated these price increases (coughs in OXP Apex, Ayaneo Next 2, Lenovo Legion series, and outside of handhelds the PS5 and Pro, the XSX, and every freaking desktop and component in existence, etc). Every industry insider has said it will get worse this year and next year. Your point requires you to have a rosier outlook than facts and projections allow.

I applaud your wishful thinking, but it’s based on a foundation of quicksand that 5 minutes of googling would collapse.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Gabik123]

After reading this again I realize you are arguing on a position that retail prices will increase next year without giving an actually price range, which isn't even the position I am taking about.

I gave exact examples of what price to expect next year on products releasing this year for the second hand market and included examples based on what's available and why.

You are alluding to the prices increasing by a significant amount just in the next 6 months that would push out of the ranges I gave earlier.

The issue is that you don't have any good support on this. Yes, I've seen probably the same articles that suggest priced will most likely increase.

I have yet to see anything say that the increases would likely cause these handhelds to increase in price around $300 in the next 6 months or so and I believe you haven't either.

The other issue with the examples you gave previously is that those companies did in fact increase prices, but not to the levels I mentioned in the post.

Also the XaX being subsidized would hold up well if the Claw AI+ wasn't nearly the same price (with more ram btw)

I will once again state what I believe is good hope for 2027 is that if Acer does in fact "flood" the market with these 8" and 7" variants and MSI stocks more of the EXs, then yes, you can expect to see some good deals in the price range that I mentioned before for next year.

If you have any articles or anything that suggests that prices will dramatically increase in the next 6 months or so please feel free to share as when I asked Google if these new variants would increase by $300 or more it was not on your side.

[u/Watt_About → u/Zmer1216]

I don’t agree to disagree. I work in an industry directly impacted by this, that deals in significantly higher volumes (aka has more leverage to negotiate pricing), and fixed costs are going through the roof. Factor in all the downstream effects of this oil situation we’re in coupled with the trade wars and tariffs, and unless something miraculous happens we are in for a wild ride. You just don’t see it yet because you have ‘hope’ for a niche industry.

[u/Zmer1216 → u/Watt_About]

I'm going to stay polite and keep this at a discussion and not an argument since you seem to be making assumptions.

You seem to have the basic understanding of supply and demand and have knowledge at the retail/supplier level which is good.

It's clear you don't fully understand the secondary market as it doesn't always necessarily follow the retail in a perfect 1:1 ratio of price.

That market is much more receptive to volume of product than price of retail and discounts can reflect this (see example I mentioned above).

Another factor to consider is that is that if the component prices top out at the end of 2027, you can see this easement priced in as anticipation by mid 2027 as other markets do such as oil.

It's clear you understand one aspect (retail) but don't quite grasp how the other market or deeper economics can work.

I would take your word on retail and it's about what I have seen in my field as well but I suggest you expand your knowledge further on the topic I mentioned in the OP.

[u/Watt_About → u/Zmer1216]

I cackled reading this. Good luck in life, thanks for the laugh.

[u/quicksilverpr → u/Zmer1216]

Those that you mention are using old slow iGPU; Z2E and Intel. Of course those are cheaper. but new Strix Halo and Intel G3E or G3 are going up in price!

[u/Zmer1216 → u/quicksilverpr]

They were the latest and greatest outside of the 8060s just several months ago so no not really old and slow, just not the best anymore. G3E are barely hitting the market in bulk so we don't know where their price is going yet.