Why SD cards and hard drives are the new ‘digital gold’ in Hong Kong

AdvertisementHong Kong economyHong KongHong Kong EconomyWhy SD cards and hard drives are the new ‘digital gold’ in Hong KongHongkongers find prices of professional-grade storage devices are going through the roof3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenOscar LiuPublished: 12:00pm, 28 Mar 2026After Hong Kong photographer Jacky Lau Kin-sang upgraded his camera systems a few months ago, he was shocked to find that the professional-grade high-capacity SD cards for the set-up cost up to HK$3,000 (US$383) per unit, three times more than expected.But the real shocker for the 42-year-old was that the price of the hard disks he had been purchasing for years to back up his clients’ images also skyrocketed from HK$1,880 to HK$3,880 for a 16TB model.“It means you essentially have to spend much more just on backups because the equipment has surged in value. In fact, the costs have already doubled,” said Lau, who owns a studio specialising in overseas pre-wedding shoots.AdvertisementThe price increase in Hong Kong reflects a global trend as manufacturers switch their focus from low-margin consumer products to high-end chips for artificial intelligence (AI) and enterprise servers.Basic storage devices for general consumers have essentially become “digital gold” amid persistently low supply, with experts warning that these high prices will last at least until the end of the year.AdvertisementA search by the South China Morning Post on price.com.hk, a popular comparison site for electronic products, found that the cost of professional storage devices in Hong Kong has surged dramatically over the past four months.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x