Smartphone companies are experiencing a sharp jump in memory costs in Q2

Price rise of DRAM in Q2 2026

Analytical firm TrendForce reported that contract prices for mobile memory (DRAM) continued a rapid increase in the second quarter of 2026, creating additional pressure on smartphone manufacturers.

How the largest suppliers are acting
- Samsung Electronics chose a “jump” – sharply increased the price all at once.
- SK hynix applies a more gradual approach – prices rise step by step.

Both companies plan to finalize new pricing by the end of May.

TrendForce assessment
Memory type Device segment Growth in Q2
LPDDR4X (mid‑range) Mid‑platform smartphones +70 – 75 % compared with Q1
LPDDR5X (flagship) Premium smartphones +78 – 83 %

Such sharp price jumps for several quarters in a row significantly increase the cost of devices. As a result, manufacturers may reduce overall production in 2026, and some may even fail to meet planned purchase volumes recorded in long‑term agreements with memory suppliers at the end of last year.

How memory configurations are changing
- Flagship segment: standard – 12 GB RAM; 16 GB variants appear less frequently.
- Mid‑range: return to 8 GB, which has become normal after a period of 4–6 GB.
- Budget models: consolidation of 4 GB configurations.

Despite these changes, the average memory capacity in smartphones still grows. TrendForce forecasts that by the end of 2026 it will reach 8.5 GB, about 10 % higher than last year. The main reason is the gradual disappearance of devices with 2 and 3 GB of RAM from the market.

What the industry can expect in the coming quarters
Analysts warn that pressure from DRAM prices will persist:

- Manufacturers will have to more actively optimize software.
- It is necessary to reduce memory consumption by applications and move some services to the cloud.

These measures will help mitigate component cost increases and maintain smartphone competitiveness.