If you have been following technology news recently, you may have seen headlines about the global chip supply chain tightening again. Intel has confirmed that supply constraints are expected to persist well into 2026, driven largely by the massive global demand for Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.

At eduthing, we constantly monitor the market to keep our partner schools prepared. While we’ve all navigated shortages before, this specific “squeeze” is set to impact the availability and pricing of the standard laptops and devices schools rely on daily.

We don’t say this to cause alarm – we say it to help you plan.

Here is what you need to know to protect your 2026 refresh strategy.

While AI is unlocking incredible potential in the classroom, the data centres powering it are hungry, really hungry. They are currently buying up vast amounts of high-performance components (chips, RAM, and SSDs) directly from manufacturers.

Put simply: the same components that go into your standard classroom laptops are now in high demand globally, creating a bit of a squeeze on the supply chain.

In previous years, waiting until the last minute could sometimes secure a discount. In this climate, the trend is flipping. As component costs rise, we are seeing device prices tick upward. Locking in your order early ensures your approved capital budget actually covers the number of devices you need, rather than forcing difficult conversations later..

To keep sticker prices familiar, some manufacturers are having to make compromises, reducing RAM from 16GB to 8GB or halving storage space. At eduthing, we believe technology should empower learning. Buying early gives you the pick of the inventory, ensuring your students get robust devices that can handle modern apps and multitasking.

Market volatility means the “30 days” quote is becoming a thing of the past. We are seeing some pricing windows shrink to just 24 hours.

Work with eduthing to look at your current estate now. We can help identify exactly which devices need replacing, so you don’t have to guess the numbers.

We can model different procurement scenarios (lease vs. buy) to smooth out the budget impact.

By moving your procurement timeline forward, we can secure stock and pricing before the traditional summer surge.