The era of 128 GB memory is coming to an end—artificial intelligence encourages smartphones to increase storage capacity despite market expectations

TrendForce predicts a rise in smartphone memory volumes through 2026

The company TrendForce released a new report stating that the average storage capacity in mobile devices will continue to increase, even though many market participants had expected a reversal of this trend. Previously it was assumed that manufacturers would be forced to reduce device specifications to maintain margins amid rising NAND‑memory prices and component supply constraints.

What experts say
According to 9to5Mac, citing TrendForce, by 2026 the average storage capacity in smartphones will grow by about 4.8%. The main driver of this growth will be the expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) that runs locally on the device.

- Apple Intelligence 2.0 and Huawei’s HarmonyOS AI require 40 to 60 GB of system storage for efficient operation.
- Changes are already underway: Apple has dropped 128 GB models, launching the iPhone 17 with a minimum of 256 GB. Likewise, the company introduced the iPhone 17e instead of the iPhone 16e.

TrendForce explains that such decisions are necessary to provide sufficient space for AI applications and user data.

Why manufacturers are moving away from low‑memory devices
The shift away from devices with limited capacity is driven not only by AI requirements but also by NAND‑Flash technology upgrades. TrendForce notes that the growth in memory volumes for iPhones by 2026 will be significantly higher than for Android devices: premium brands can more easily cover high memory costs thanks to higher device prices.

Thus, despite market expectations, TrendForce sees a steady increase in smartphone memory volumes through 2026, supported by demand for local AI processing and flash‑memory improvements.