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The Register · October 16, 2026 · On the brief until October 30, 2026

Smartphone shipments plummet as memory crisis pumps up prices

EconomicsSupply Chain & LogisticsMaterials Science
THE AI ANGLE
consuming memory supplies and driving up component costs

Global smartphone shipments dropped by roughly a fifth as AI hardware demand pushed memory component prices up by 350 percent. Phone manufacturers are raising retail prices, cutting budget lines, and swapping in cheaper display panels and sensors to offset costs. Analysts warn that these supply shortages and elevated expenses will persist until at least 2028.

Summary written by AI Business Lens with an AI model from the article at theregister.com. It is not the article, and the publisher has not reviewed it. For publishers.

THE TEACHING ANGLE
Manufacturers face the trade-off of downgrading secondary components like displays and sensors or ceding the low-cost market entirely to high-end brands.

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