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Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple dominates

Updated 11 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-04 13:58 UTC → 2026-08-04 23:04 UTC · added removed

Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple leads dominates

The global DRAM and NAND shortage continues to compress the Global smartphone market. In Q2 2026 total shipments fell continued to contract in Q2 2026, falling 11 % YoY – to the lowest level since 2013 – while for the average period since 2013. Average selling price rose to $400, up a 17 % increase, pushing total smartphone revenue to a record $109 billion, up 7 % YoY. Apple captured 49 % of that revenue – a $10 billion annual sales milestone in India – and posted a 22 % revenue gain together with a 13 % shipment increase, while maintaining a 20 % market‑share without raising iPhone 17 prices. Samsung reclaimed the top shipments share at 24 %, driven by strong Galaxy S26 Ultra sales, and Apple posted a record 20 % share, avoiding price hikes on the iPhone 17 series. Apple’s ecosystem benefited: its share of global smartphone and grew revenue rose to 49 9 % (total $109 billion, to hold a 22 16 % revenue gain) and its revenue share now dominates the market. Premium demand lifted Apple’s shipments 13 % YoY, while budget share. Budget‑oriented Android makers such as Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo and Honor posted saw double‑digit shipment declines declines; Xiaomi’s shipments fell 26 % and were forced to raise prices (Xiaomi lifted flagship prices in China by revenue dropped 17 % despite a 13 % ASP rise, prompting price hikes of 300–500 yuan). Memory components yuan on several models in China. Memory‑chip scarcity remains the dominant cost driver, now account accounting for over 40 % of the bill‑of‑materials for premium phones, with component costs phones and causing component‑price increases of up to 70 % YoY for low‑end models; memory‑chip prices models. Prices for DRAM and NAND have quadrupled since early 2023. 2023, and Qualcomm announced a double‑digit price hike for its entire Snapdragon lineup line effective 1 Sept 2026, after smartphone‑chip revenue fell 20 % to $5.1 billion in Q3 2026. Advanced 2 nm flagship chips push device BOMs above $600, and MediaTek’s Tianji 9600 Pro 2 nm chip costs about $216 per unit. Samsung warned the memory The shortage will is expected to deepen through 2027. 2027, with Counterpoint projecting a further 13.9 % drop in total shipments for 2026 and continued pricing pressure into the second half of the year. The slump downturn also rippled into affected PCs, where shipments slipped 3.6 % in Q2 2026. Consumer Brand loyalty remains remained high, with 87 % of iPhone buyers staying within the Apple Apple’s ecosystem and Samsung loyalty at 90 %. % of Samsung customers remaining loyal.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-04 23:04 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple dominates
  2. 2026-08-04 13:58 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple leads
  3. 2026-08-03 14:05 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple leads
  4. 2026-08-03 09:14 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple leads
  5. 2026-08-03 05:42 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple gains share
  6. 2026-07-31 02:48 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple gains share
  7. 2026-07-30 13:34 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple defies decline
  8. 2026-07-30 13:25 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple defies decline
  9. 2026-07-30 10:34 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple defies decline
  10. 2026-07-30 08:26 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple defies decline
  11. 2026-07-30 01:50 UTC Memory crunch deepens smartphone slump, Apple defies decline
  12. 2026-07-27 14:52 UTC Memory crunch reshapes smartphone shares, auto costs

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