We cynics predict the other players will follow suit, acting as a cartel. The prices will remain inflated, and media covering the price rise will blithely repeat industry talking points as fact. A few keyboard warriors will be convinced enough to point to these articles in online arguments. Someone somewhere types "supply and demand" unironically.

Maybe a few years down the line there will be an investigation when a whistleblower forces some government in europe to appear as if they're doing something. The trial will last longer than the media coverage of it.

After that, we predict a settlement that costs less than the profits they made colluding to inflate prices. Someone somewhere types "cost of doing business"

If Samsung publicly announces cutting back production and the rest do the same I don't think it's considered collusion.

Yeah but they probably have all the same suppliers and even if one keeps their prices low for now eventually someone there is going to wonder why they are doing the same work as everyone else but getting paid less for it.

This is why you need a healthy market. You need lots of competitions selling a lot of different products. Not 4 companies all seeing the same crap.