Smartphone market set for biggest-ever decline in 2026 on memory price surge, IDC says - Reuters
Smartphone market set for biggest-ever decline in 2026 on memory price surge, IDC says Reuters
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"The smartphone market will witness a seismic shift by the time this crisis is over -- in size, average selling prices and competitive landscape."
— Nabila Popal , Executive
"Memory price increases had a minimal impact on Apple's gross margin during the 2025 holiday quarter."
— Tim Cook , Executive
"The memory crisis will cause more than a temporary decline; it marks a structural reset of the entire market."
— Nabila Popal , Executive
"Brands now face a simple choice: raise prices by 30% or more in some cases, or downgrade specs."
— Carl Pei , Executive
"What we are witnessing is not a temporary squeeze, but a tsunami-like shock originating in the memory supply chain."
— Francisco Jeronimo , Academic
"The memory crisis will cause more than a temporary decline; it marks a structural reset of the entire market."
— Nabila Popal , Executive
Key People
Co-founder and CEO of Nothing.
Francisco Jeronimo is a tech analyst for the International Data Corporation.
Nabila Popal is the Senior Research Director at IDC.
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple Inc., known for leading the company through significant product innovations and expansions.
Tags
All Coverage
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxQblY1U2lMWDY2VndTT3VpY0dIank4US1GRXlmV2FRTHFGS0ZPdFdEWkhvOEFYMlNKNFFWQ29QZUYzTGJVUS1OZmRqUm1Hdlpud0N0UnR1dVNqbkhLTDZCeVlaVDdQNWQyUmw4R0RaRGNGd1VxS2w4OUtZZ0puQkZIOVJub2VFd1R6dkFaNXc0WU85UGZpVDZmN1Bwcm92VHk4ek5HTktISFVLLVZJYXVudXczeEx4eXYtN3VtS3VvQnltWTlnRDlqLWZYOFktSmM?oc=5" target="_blank">Smartphone market set for biggest-ever decline in 2026 on memory price surge, IDC says</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
A rise in AI demand is causing a massive RAM shortage, leading to a projected 12.9% decline in smartphone shipments in 2026, marking the biggest dip in over a decade.
Gartner projects a 10.4% decline in PC shipments and an 8.4% decline in smartphone shipments in 2026 due to soaring memory costs, with entry-level PCs disappearing by 2028.
The global smartphone market is projected to decline by 12.9% in 2026, reaching a decade-low in shipments, due to surging memory chip prices driven by AI infrastructure demand.
The global smartphone market will contract 12.9% in 2026 because of the unprecedented memory chip shortage, marking 'a crisis like no other,' according to researcher IDC.
A global DRAM shortage is expected to lead to a 13% drop in smartphone sales in 2026, with Apple being less affected due to its focus on premium devices.
The global smartphone market is poised to suffer its biggest decline ever in 2026, sinking to a more than decade low in shipments, as surging memory chip prices drive up device costs.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Rogue Anthropic AI agent gave police fake tip in unsolved murder case
Philadelphia police said the tip was "flagged as spam", but criticised the tech company for taking more than two months to detect and report the breach.
October 10, 2026 at 10:06 AMHow drones are hunting fires hidden beneath the Cairngorms
Dramatic flames from the huge Cairngorms wildfire in July have disappeared - but hot spots can continue to burn beneath the earth.
October 10, 2026 at 09:31 AMTech Now
Shiona McCallum visits Cairngorms National Park to see tech monitor wildfire damage.
October 10, 2026 at 01:00 AMVenezuela president authorizes SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country - Reuters
Venezuela president authorizes SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country Reuters
October 10, 2026 at 12:02 AMChina AI developers publish safety tests for just 3.6% of model releases, report finds - Reuters
China AI developers publish safety tests for just 3.6% of model releases, report finds Reuters
October 9, 2026 at 12:39 PMUS, European telecom stocks slide as SpaceX spectrum deal rattles sector - Reuters
US, European telecom stocks slide as SpaceX spectrum deal rattles sector Reuters
October 9, 2026 at 11:46 AM