Smartphone makers are getting squeezed again. TrendForce says mobile DRAM contract prices will keep climbing in the second quarter of 2026, with LPDDR4X expected to rise 70-75% quarter-on-quarter and LPDDR5X set to jump 78-83%. That surge is already forcing vendors to rethink memory configurations and production plans.
Behind the numbers is a familiar semiconductor story: supply discipline from the big vendors, demand that refuses to cool, and handset brands left with fewer good options. Samsung has reportedly raised prices in one go, while SK Hynix is increasing them more gradually, with final pricing expected by the end of May. That kind of split strategy usually means buyers spend weeks pretending they have leverage, then sign anyway.
Mobile DRAM prices are resetting across phones
The pressure is showing up directly in hardware specs. In flagship phones, 12 GB is now taking the place that 16 GB once occupied, while 8 GB has returned to mainstream models and 4 GB is becoming the default for low-cost devices. Models with 2 GB or 3 GB are being phased out, which tells you how little slack there is left in the market.
- LPDDR4X: up 70-75% versus the previous quarter
- LPDDR5X: up 78-83% versus the previous quarter
- Top phones: 12 GB replacing 16 GB in many cases
- Mainstream models: 8 GB is back
- Budget phones: 4 GB dominates, while 2 GB and 3 GB fade out
Why smartphone makers are cutting 2026 production plans
TrendForce says the price rise has already hit annual planning. Manufacturers have trimmed their 2026 phone production targets and are struggling to honor older long-term purchase agreements, which is exactly the kind of mess that turns ”more memory for the same price” into ”less memory, please don’t ask.” The broader industry pattern also fits recent memory cycles: when DRAM tightens, handset brands usually absorb the pain first, then push it downstream through thinner configurations and fewer premium upgrades.
The more interesting question is whether buyers will notice before the shelf labels change. If memory costs keep moving up at this pace, expect more phones to be launched with conservative RAM configs, fewer headline-grabbing spec bumps, and a lot of marketing around efficiency instead of raw capacity.