As TrendForce notes, this wave of DRAM price surge will hit entry-level smartphones first. According to TrendForce, the surge in smartphone memory costs in 2025 is mainly due to increases in DRAM prices. Contract prices for DRAM in the fourth quarter are expected to grow by more than 75% YoY, and given that memory usually makes up 10–15% of the total BOM cost, this has led to an overall unit cost increase of about 8–10% in 2025.

At present, TrendForce predicts a 1.6% YoY increase in global smartphone production for 2025, but cautions that ongoing memory supply issues could lead to a further downward revision.

Coosea, cited by Calian, notes that he company is adjusting memory configurations to prioritize the core smartphone experience. For example, mainstream configurations of 12GB + 512GB may shift toward more cost-efficient 8GB + 256GB versions, which suggests that the trend of rapidly doubling smartphone storage over recent years could reverse next year, Calian adds.

Beyond downsizing, price increases are also inevitable. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing told analysts earlier that the company has secured full-year memory supply for 2026, but warned that shortages could push smartphone prices higher, with product costs reflecting the rise in components, according to the Economic Daily News.

https://www.trendforce.com/news/2025/12/08/news-smartphone-memory-levels-reportedly-plunge-below-4-weeks-low-end-devices-in-the-crosshairs/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5808017&forum_id=2#49494643)