GoKawiilTrendForce: reballed DRAM creeping into budget phones amid memory shortage
TrendForce reports that some smartphone makers are turning to reballed memory—used DRAM stripped from old hardware and refitted with new solder balls—to stock entry-level 4G phones as DRAM contract prices keep rising. The firm says reballed chips, mostly LPDDR4X 4GB modules, could make up 3-4% of mobile RAM in 2026, potentially rising to 7-9% the following year.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The shift suggests manufacturers are running out of conventional options as new memory grows scarcer and pricier, which could eventually push reused components into pricier mainstream phones rather than just budget models. Industry voices like TeamGroup's CEO warn supply could tighten further still, while SK Hynix points to sustained AI-driven demand keeping prices elevated for the foreseeable future.
- Reballed (used) DRAM is being used in budget 4G smartphones due to rising memory costs
- TrendForce projects reballed chips could reach 7-9% of mobile RAM by 2027
- Executives at TeamGroup and SK Hynix expect memory shortages and price increases to persist
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Published there as: “Used memory chips are creeping into budget phones, and it could get worse”
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