The RAM crisis might be forcing manufacturers to cut corners you can hear
Your next phone could sound worse.
The rising cost of RAM is prompting phone manufacturers to make difficult decisions to prevent price hikes, according to recent reports. Xiaomi's 17T appears to have sacrificed audio quality by cutting costs on its speakers, testing revealing weaker sound than its predecessor. As manufacturers seek ways to save money, consumers may need to look beyond spec sheets to identify hidden trade-offs.
The ongoing RAM cost crisis shows no signs of abating, compelling manufacturers to make compromises to keep prices from skyrocketing further. Motorola, for instance, opted for stagnation by maintaining the same chipset in the Razr Ultra 2026 as in its predecessor. While this approach may be understandable given the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip's popularity, Xiaomi may be employing a different strategy.
The company launched the Xiaomi 17T in late May, positioning it as a mid-range substitute to flagship devices. To keep costs down, Xiaomi reportedly made a compromise that isn't immediately apparent from spec sheets alone.
Written by urgent.news from Android Authority's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
