Smartphone prices expected to rise sharply in 2026

ISLAMABAD: If you are planning to buy a new smartphone in 2026, then know that this year will be quite bad for buying a new device.

This is because the prices of smartphones are likely to increase significantly in 2026.

According to a report by analyst company Counterpoint, the prices of RAM used in phones have increased rapidly in recent months, which will have a negative impact on smartphones in the coming months.

The company has revised its forecasts for smartphone sales for 2026.

Earlier, it said that smartphone sales would increase next year, but now it says that the smartphone market will shrink by 2.1%.

According to the report, the prices of RAM or memory chips could increase by another 40% during the second quarter of 2026.

RAM prices increased by 8 to 25% in December compared to the beginning of 2025.

Counterpoint said that smartphone manufacturers could reduce the number of devices worldwide.

Smaller companies will be more affected than Apple and other large companies.

According to experts, the smartphone market has already made changes to its products and reduced features due to the increase in the cost of devices.

The quality of camera modules in some phones has been reduced, while displays, audio components and memory, etc. have also been reduced.

Analysts warned that smartphone prices could increase by up to 7% next year.

However, if you are used to buying companies’ flagships or expensive models, this difference will not be much noticeable.