RAM shortage could cut smartphone shipments 12.9% in 2026, IDC says
Feb 27th 2026
A surge in AI-driven demand for memory is pushing RAM prices higher and forcing vendors to raise phone prices, with IDC warning this will cause the largest single-year shipment drop in over a decade and reshuffle the industry.
- IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments will fall 12.9% to 1.12 billion in 2026, down from 1.26 billion in 2025.