Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR A new Counterpoint Research report predicts that smartphone prices will rise in 2026, with average selling prices increasing by as much as 6.9% as memory costs surge.
The same report points to shrinking shipments and higher manufacturing costs, pushing smartphone makers to potentially cut specs like RAM and limit budget options.
For consumers, this means phones launching next year will be pricier while offering fewer meaningful upgrades.
If you’ve been waiting patiently to upgrade your phone in 2026, hoping the next generation of devices will be faster, cheaper, or offer better value, we’ve got some bad news for you. Smartphones will most likely get more expensive and less featureful in the coming year compared to what you can buy today.
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According to new data from Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments are now expected to fall by 2.1% in 2026 due to rising memory costs. The bigger potential problem for buyers is pricing. The research firm notes that the average selling prices for phones are expected to rise 6.9% year over year, nearly double earlier estimates.
In a nutshell, phone makers would very likely charge more because they don’t have any other option, given the current market situation.
The biggest pain point is DRAM, and we’re sure you’ve already heard about the ongoing crisis. Prices for the memory your phone uses for multitasking, gaming, and keeping apps running smoothly are spiking thanks to high demand from big tech companies to fuel their AI data centers.
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