The Mobile phones could be more expensive more than expected in 2026. The increase would be linked to the increase in manufacturing material costs, a trend already seen this year. The authors of the report point this out Development of artificial intelligence as one of the factors putting pressure on these prices.
The conclusions arise from a study carried out Counterpoint. There, specialists MS Hwang and Shenghao Bai pointed out an effect that increases over time Smartphone production line.
Specifically, it is about analyzing what will happen in the future market the following keys highlighted:
On the last point, the report points out that the Data centers AI You need a large amount of a Component called dynamic random access memory (DRAM)which is also fundamental to the structure of mobile devices.
As demand increases from artificial intelligence companies, DRAM has increased its price. For this reason, mobile phone production has already seen increases in 2025 and this trend is expected to continue in 2026.
For him Increase in component pricesTech companies will face higher production costs. In this sense, this increase can be passed on to consumers.
The analysis of Counterpoint indicates that the Low-end smartphoneswhich cost less than $200 Increases between 20% and 30% in the components. For his part in the Mid and high-end segment The rise came from the middle 10% and 15%.
Analysts assume so for the second quarter of 2026 Storage increases reach 40%. This number would come Manufacturing costs from a series of 8% and 15% additional.
Given this path, large technology companies such as Apple And Samsunghave some scope to absorb these changes. Experts therefore assume so There wouldn’t be any big increases iPhone or models of the South Korean brand.
However, Companies that typically sell cheaper cell phones You would face two harmful paths for consumers: increase the price sharply in order not to lose any profit margins or Reduce manufacturing costs with low quality and old components.
In addition to the possible increase in the final price for consumers, the report also mentions another effect: Decrease in the number of devices shipped to stores.
While stability and even a short-term increase were previously forecast, the Calculation for 2026 is this this indicator? Decline of 2.1%.
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