RAMageddon: Why Your Next Smartphone Will Cost 7% More with Worse Specs in 2026

A global surge in memory demand has triggered shortages that are impacting the smartphone market, with mid-sized and smaller manufacturers feeling the pressure as memory chip prices rise and bill-of-materials costs increase. Manufacturers face squeezed margins and may either absorb the extra costs or downgrade other hardware to stay competitive, while Apple and Samsung are described as better positioned to weather the price pressures, according to Counterpoint Research.

In the near term, Apple is expected to absorb higher memory costs rather than immediately raising retail prices, but most other makers are likely to pass costs on to consumers. Counterpoint Research forecasts that the average selling price of smartphones will rise by 6.9% next year, with OEMs steering buyers toward higher-end models to preserve and expand margins. The report also notes that global smartphone shipments are projected to decline by 2.1% in 2026.