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TrendForce Sees 2026 Smartphone Output Falling on Soaring Memory Costs

The firm outlines a 10% baseline decline with deeper losses if memory prices climb further.

Overview

  • TrendForce forecasts 2026 global smartphone production will fall about 10% to roughly 1.135 billion units.
  • In a downside case tied to additional memory price increases, output could drop at least 15% to about 1.061 billion units.
  • Contract prices for a mainstream 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration are reported to be nearly 200% higher than a year earlier.
  • Memory’s share of handset costs has risen from a historical 10–15% to approximately 30–40%, materially lifting build costs.
  • Manufacturers are raising retail prices and adjusting product configurations, and TrendForce expects these pressures to curb end‑market demand.