News & Reviews:   memory

Back in February, Samsung told The Verge that global shortages of RAM and other materials, combined with tariffs, made a "significant contribution" to the price hike. But the company may be preparing another wave of price increases for its Galaxy flagship smartphones, according to a new report suggesting rising component costs and AI-related hardware demands are continuing to pressure the mobile industry.

We have talked about the rising cost of smartphones this year. But today, a new report highlighted by Android Authority suggests that average smartphone storage capacity will continue to increase in 2026, even as component prices climb. According to market research firm TrendForce, average storage across smartphones is expected to rise by about 4.8% this year.

HONOR has hyping up its MWC 2026 showcase for a few days now. But today, the company teased the arrival of a new smartphone in Malaysia, positioning it as a device that blends high-end industrial design with accessible innovation. It is aiming to deliver a flagship-inspired experience while remaining competitively priced for the local market.

The global technology industry is now facing warnings of a serious memory supply crisis as DRAM prices are expected to jump by up to 95% by March 2026. A report from research firm TrendForce shows that extreme demand from AI data centres has severely disrupted existing supply chains.

It was only yesterday when we reported that the rising cost of memory chips may put pressure on Apple, since Samsung and SK Hynix are increasing it. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to that matter during the company’s latest earnings call with equity analysts.

We have been talking about this for a while; memory costs have already risen, and the global memory chip market is facing steep price increases that are reverberating across the technology sector. This is prominent in the smartphone industry, where dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) is a critical component.

2026 already seems like all doom and gloom for the tech industry. Xiaomi's President and HONOR have already warned us about this due to the rising cost of memory chips. Today, Nothing co-founder Carl Pei took to X to warn that future smartphones may become more expensive, signalling a shift in industry dynamics that could reshape how devices are priced in the coming years.

News of RAM shortages has been around for months, with many companies warning consumers to expect rising prices. This is bad news for many companies, as it means fewer people would be willing to buy new products. The good news is that ASUS has plans to help.

The rapid rise in memory chip prices is starting to shake up more than just smartphone and PC markets; it’s now affecting gaming handheld consoles as well. Manufacturers in this niche segment are beginning to feel the strain of “skyrocketing” RAM costs, a situation that has already led to shipment delays and configuration changes for upcoming handheld devices.

Industry research firm Counterpoint Research has revised its outlook for the global smartphone market, now projecting a slight contraction in shipments in 2026. The adjustment is largely due to a sharp rise in memory chip prices, especially for DRAM (RAM) used in smartphones, as supply tightens against booming demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and other high-end computing sectors.