We're in a very fucked up moment with hard disks data storage prices right now.
It's due to many factors, one being that manufacturers are way too concentrated: Seagate, Western Digital and to a lesser degree Toshiba control the entire market.
Being the only payers in town, S-WD-T can turn the faucet on and off, and set the prices as they wish.
Then in the US we have tariffs of 25% on imported goods from Asia if I understand that right. Even though Seagate and WD are both US companies... That's jacking up the prices big time.
The ssd market which is expected to grow three time faster than the hdd market in the next decade appears more segmented. Although Kingston, (another US company), has the lion share, followed by Samsung, and WD again. We're being ripped off with sdds prices as well in the US, but competition helps.
Look at this chart of 8TB Seagate IronWolf hdd from camelcamelcamel.com:
The drive was initially sold for around $230 in April of 2020.
A year later in April of 2021 the price was down to around $180.
Then the Covid crisis shot the prices up to $240. But in April of 2022, the price was back down to $170.
April 2023 it was "rock bottom" down to $130. And in 2024-2025 the price oscillated between $150 and $180.
Now after a fake Black Friday / Cyber Monday where the $180 Sale price was in fact the same as the high price during the entire year of 2025, it shoots up to $220!
What? Almost as expensive as when it was introduced almost 6 years ago! R&D and initial investments are all paid for at this point.
Notice that $180 (all of last year high price) x 1.25 (25% tariffs) = $225. Which is the new set price, give or take $5, comes December.
Everything is more expensive leading to Christmas so between now and I assume probably at least January next year, we're being ripped off.
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