Bad news for anyone planning to buy a new phone in 2026. The latest market report from TrendForce, a market research firm, shows quite tough conditions for the global smartphone and laptop market, due to memory prices which are expected to rise sharply starting in early 2026.
This increase is a major issue. Gizchina reported on Monday (December 15) local time that it's not just because device prices could rise, but also because the specifications offered could be lowered, especially on mid-range and low-end phones.
Nowadays, memory costs are taking up an increasing portion of the total production cost ( Bill of Materials / BOM), therefore, many brands are starting to consider lowering specifications to keep the selling price affordable.
TrendForce predicts that DRAM (RAM) costs will continue to account for a larger portion of production costs throughout 2026. Even the iPhone, known for its high profit margins, will be affected by this trend.
