The Story Behind Chipsets and AI

You may have noticed that across the mobile industry, device pricing is increasing. One of the biggest reasons is what is happening behind the scenes with chipsets.

AI Chipset Prioritization: How It Affects Everyone

Globally, chipset manufacturers are heavily prioritizing high‑end processors for AI workloads - from data centres to flagship consumer-grade devices. This has a few knock‑on effects:

• Increased demand for high‑performance chips used in AI
• Pressure on supply for more “everyday” mobile chipsets
• Upward price movement across the entire chipset ecosystem

Even though our Oukitel devices are designed as practical, durable tools rather than luxury flagships, they still depend on the same global chipset supply chain. That means the same market forces affecting “normal” phones also affect rugged devices.

How We Responded 

At Tsukuru Pty Ltd, we know our clients – from individual buyers, SMEs to large organizations - living and operating in South Africa has unique challenges. So here’s what we’ve done:

• Absorbed as much as we could. We have taken on a significant portion of the chipset‑related increases ourselves, resulting in a minimal 1-10% increase on our rugged solutions. 
• Protected value over time. By focusing on procuring end-to-end rugged solutions - a well-managed device that survives three or four years of hard use is cheaper in total cost of ownership than a fragile consumer-grader phone that needs to be replaced every 9-12 months.
• Maintained performance where it matters. Our priority is stable day‑to‑day performance for real work: battery life, connectivity, durability, and reliability in harsh conditions. Paired with exceptional local client service we keep downtime minimal and maintenances predictable.

The Bottom Line:

Tsukuru strives to keep our rugged phones and rugged tablets as accessible as possible for South African clients while still delivering the toughness and performance you need.

We understand South African conditions because we live and work in them too.

When we say rugged, we mean:

• Devices that can work and survive in the veld, on site, in the rain, and in a plant room
• Industry-first features that optimize operational gains & ROI
• Rugged tablets and rugged phones that are as at home in a control room as they are in the back of a bakkie

Tsukuru Pty Ltd stands for practical, reliable solutions that respect your reality – and we are proud to support both individuals and businesses who keep this country moving.

Get in touch with us, request a rugged solutions demo today.