Smartphone industry predicted to hit biggest low for 13 years thanks to
memory crisis and only Apple and Samsung are safe from extinction

Date:
Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:17:04 +0000

Description:
The ongoing memory crisis risks eliminating low-cost smartphones, with the whole industry struggling as a result.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Smartphone shipments could drop by 13.9% this year That would bring them to the lowest levels since 2013 The fall is largely thanks to rising memory prices 2026 looks set to be a bad
year for the smartphone industry, as its predicted that shipments will fall 13.9% year-on-year. That would mean 1.08 billion units shipped, which is the lowest annual volume since 2013.

Thats a huge drop and a massive change in direction for the industry, which, prior to 2026, had seen nine consecutive quarters of growth. This 13.9% drop prediction comes from Counterpoint , which is revising its previous forecast of a 12.4% drop. So, in other words, things are getting even worse than previously predicted. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: You may like AI memory crunch will make smartphones more expensive Battery life just dethroned price as the biggest driver of smartphone purchases We may only
have a year of the RAM crisis left if ex-Samsung boss is right

This downward trend is largely driven by the ongoing memory supply crisis, with AI gobbling up much of the available RAM, leading to steep price rises. As a result, Counterpoint predicts that the sub-$150 segment faces an effective permanent removal in some markets.

With cheap phones disappearing, brands that focus on low-end devices and emerging markets will particularly struggle, which is part of why Samsung and Apple are reportedly the most insulated brands that and the fact that they have integrated supply chains. Smaller drops and even some increases Xiaomi
is one of the brands that's really struggling this year (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) As a result, iPhone shipments are expected to remain broadly flat this year, according to Counterpoint, and to grow by 5% next year. Samsung, meanwhile, could see a 4% drop this year, which is far less than the industry as a whole.

The only other brand that Counterpoint highlights as being in good shape is Huawei, which actually managed to grow 1% in the first quarter of the year. This was apparently achieved by it keeping its prices static in order to grow its market share. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Conversely, Xiaomis shipments dropped more than any of the other top five phone brands in quarter one, with a 19% drop.

The big winner of all this, though, looks to be the refurbished market, which is predicted to grow by 13% this year, as new phones become too expensive for many buyers.

Counterpoint predicts that the market wont rebound until 2028, but the landscape could be very different by then if some brands fail to weather the storm. Today's best phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free gift Apple iPhone 17 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 10GB data 19 upfront 34.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Apple iPhone 17 Pro 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 100 upfront 62.37 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Apple iPhone Air 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 40GB data 12 upfront 50 /mth View at Sky See all prices Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 50 upfront 54.75 /mth View at
Vodafone Ltd See all prices Apple iPhone 16e 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 20 upfront 24 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (White) Samsung Galaxy S26 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 40 upfront 30.50 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices gift Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 25GB data 29 upfront 42.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (White) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 50 upfront 41 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices gift Google Pixel 10 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 400GB data 39 upfront 32 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Google Pixel 10a 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 30 upfront 20 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/smartphone-industry-predicted-to-hit-biggest- low-for-13-years-thanks-to-memory-crisis-and-only-apple-and-samsung-are-safe-f rom-extinction


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)