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Smartphone prices surge as AI demand drives global memory chip shortage
The global smartphone market is facing significant price increases and shipment declines due to a critical shortage of memory components. Driven by the massive demand for AI infrastructure and data centers, memory chip prices (DRAM and NAND) have surged by more than 300% year-over-year.
IDC predicts that the average selling price for smartphones will reach $581 in 2026, a 27.6% increase, while global shipments are expected to decline by approximately 17%. This trend is particularly impacting the entry-level market, as manufacturers reduce low-cost models to maintain margins. The GSMA has warned that this rising cost of hardware risks widening the global digital divide, potentially excluding billions in low- and middle-income countries from AI-enabled services and the digital economy.
Industry experts offer differing timelines for relief. Acer CEO Jason Chen anticipates that PC and component prices could peak in the first half of 2027 before declining. Conversely, major memory manufacturers like SK Hynix and Micron suggest that supply constraints and high demand could persist through 2030. In the consumer sector, companies like Apple have already implemented price hikes for various models in markets like the UK to offset these rising material costs.
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What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] IDC predicts global smartphone average selling prices will reach $581 in 2026, a 27.6% increase from the previous year. 4gnews.pt · www.tecnobreak.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · sapo.pt
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Memory supply shortages could persist through 2027 and potentially beyond 2030. researchsnipers.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rising smartphone component costs risk widening the global digital divide and excluding people from AI-enabled services. www.ictbusiness.biz · smartcitiestech.io
- [● 4 SOURCES] Smartphone memory prices rose more than 300% year over year in Q2 2026. www.unlockbase.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · sapo.pt · world-today-journal.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Apple has increased prices for various iPhone models in the UK due to rising component costs. world-today-journal.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · sapo.pt
- [● 4 SOURCES] IDC predicts a nearly 17% decline in global smartphone units sold in 2026. 4gnews.pt · www.tecnobreak.com · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · sapo.pt
- [● 2 SOURCES] The market for smartphones priced below $100 has seen a significant contraction. 4gnews.pt · www.tecnobreak.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] High demand for AI infrastructure and data centers is driving up the cost and reducing the availability of memory chips. www.ictbusiness.biz · smartcitiestech.io · world-today-journal.com · 4gnews.pt · www.unlockbase.com · +3 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Acer CEO Jason Chen expects PC prices to rise 5% to 20% by the end of 2026, peaking in early 2027 before declining. www.zerohedge.com · theneutral.pk · multiplayer.it
- [● 2 SOURCES] SK Hynix predicts memory supply shortages could persist through 2030. theneutral.pk · researchsnipers.com