{
  "id": 14787312,
  "title": "Phones on shelves got 15% pricier in 2026: how memory chips broke the price curve",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/phones-on-shelves-got-15-pricier-in-2026-how-memory-chips-broke-the",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-15T20:52:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/cacheline/phones-on-shelves-got-15-pricier-in-2026-how-memory-chips-broke-the-price-curve-1ni"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2026, smartphones on shelves became an average of 15% pricier, with some models even nearly doubling in price, according to Counterpoint Research's Global Smartphone Price Increase Tracker. This price hike is primarily due to the soaring costs of memory chips, which have quadrupled since the fourth quarter of 2025. The usual downward price trend for smartphones has been disrupted by this sudden increase. In the past, a phone would launch at its highest price and gradually decrease over time. However, with memory and NAND flash prices rising, phone manufacturers now face three options: absorb the cost, raise the price, or reduce the memory in the next batch. As a result, over 40% of smartphone models have seen a price increase so far in 2026, marking the first time in the industry's history that new launches are 25% more expensive than the previous year's models. Manufacturers have also started cutting specifications, offering lower storage capacities, reduced camera configurations, and reintroducing 4G models in certain segments. The warning signs were evident as early as January, with Counterpoint's Q4 2025 market report indicating that the average selling price had surpassed $400 in a single quarter for the first time, driven by higher Bill of Materials (BOM) costs and memory shortages. Research Director Tarun Pathak had predicted a continued rise in average selling prices (ASPs) supported by these memory price hikes. The impact of the price increase varies across regions. In India, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa, existing phone prices rose by 21%, 19%, and 18%, respectively. China experienced a 10% increase, while Europe and the US saw a 7% and 5% increase, respectively. The global average price hike stood at 15%. The pattern makes sense when considering the margins of cheap phones, which have very little room between the cost of parts and their selling price. Consequently, a memory price spike must be absorbed by either the price or the specification sheet. Price-sensitive markets, primarily consisting of budget and mid-range phones, have experienced the most significant price hikes. In contrast, premium or carrier-sold phones in the US and Europe have seen less severe impacts, with financing, trade-in deals, and installment plans helping to mitigate the price increase. Interestingly, Apple has managed to keep its iPhone prices relatively stable so far. However, according to Senior Analyst Karn Chauhan, prices for new smartphones, including the upcoming iPhone 18 series, are expected to keep rising over the coming quarters due to memory shortages and elevated component costs. As memory supply catches up, it remains to be seen how quickly phone prices will begin to fall.",
  "summary": "Phones that were already on shelves went up in price by 15% on average in 2026, and some models nearly doubled. That is from Counterpoint Research's Global Smartphone Price Increase Tracker , published on 3 September 2026, and the cause it names is memory: prices for the chips that hold your apps and photos have risen fourfold since Q4 2025. If you have spent years watching last year's flagship…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}