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Rising Memory Costs Slash 2026 Smartphone Shipments, Spur Price Hikes

6/21/2026

31 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Apple Announces Price Hikes

Goldman Sachs cut 2026/2027 global smartphone shipment forecasts to 1.14 billion and 1.17 billion units because memory-chip costs are rising.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said price hikes are unavoidable as DRAM and NAND costs rise, and iPhone prices could rise 5%-10%.
Gartner warns soaring memory costs could cut 2026 smartphone shipments by 8.4% and push prices up 13% from 2025.

Summary

Cook Rejects Factory

Tim Cook said Apple will not build its own memory factories and may use cash reserves to expand supply.
A coalition of trade groups, including retailers and medical suppliers, warned the White House that the memory chip imbalance could raise prices for U.S. households.
Asha Sharma, head of Microsoft’s Xbox unit, disclosed storage component costs have more than doubled since last fall due to AI-driven chip shortages.

History

Historical Context

In 2007 Samsung launched DDR3, and by 2009-2011 DDR3 sales reached 72% of all DRAM, sparking rapid growth for the industry’s “Big Three.” Decades later, SK Hynix controlled roughly 38% of the global DRAM market in Q2 2025, and the sector’s history of sharp price spikes now threatens smartphone shipment forecasts.

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Apple Announces Price Hikes

Goldman Sachs cut 2026/2027 global smartphone shipment forecasts to 1.14 billion and 1.17 billion units because memory-chip costs are rising.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said price hikes are unavoidable as DRAM and NAND costs rise, and iPhone prices could rise 5%-10%.
Gartner warns soaring memory costs could cut 2026 smartphone shipments by 8.4% and push prices up 13% from 2025.

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