{
  "id": 14742508,
  "title": "Smartphone shipments plummet as memory crisis pumps up prices",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/smartphone-shipments-plummet-as-memory-crisis-pumps-up-prices",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-15T16:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/10/15/smartphone-shipments-plummet-as-memory-crisis-pumps-up-prices/5303364"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smartphone sales plummeted by at least 20% in the third quarter after a memory shortage drove up component costs, according to industry estimates from IDC and Omdia. Memory prices have jumped around 350% over the past year and are continuing to climb, squeezing vendor profits and forcing companies to raise prices and reduce the number of low-cost devices in the market. IDC predicts shipments will remain weak for the foreseeable future, with the worst yet to come, and expects a longer-lasting shift toward higher prices. Omdia forecasts a further 12% decline in global smartphone sales through 2026, with premium devices potentially showing more resilience as consumers become accustomed to higher prices.",
  "summary": "AI's appetite for components hammers budget handsets, with analysts seeing little relief before 2028",
  "key_points": [
    "Smartphone shipments dropped at least 20% in Q3",
    "Memory prices increased by around 350% in the past year",
    "Industry predicts weak shipments and higher prices persist"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "Smartphone shipments plummet as memory crisis pumps up prices",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/smartphone-shipments-plummet-as-memory-crisis-pumps-up-prices-14744859",
        "published": "2026-10-15T16:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}