Smartphone Memory Inflation Reshapes 2026 BOM Costs

EE Times Asia reports Counterpoint estimates that smartphone memory prices rose by more than 80% quarter over quarter in 2Q 2026. The cited analysis says the cost structure of 2026 phones has shifted versus comparable 2025 models as memory takes a larger share of the bill of materials. The pressure appears across tiers. The payload says low-end handset component costs were up 70% year over year, mostly from memory, while mid-range BOM costs rose 52% and memory accounted for 40% of that segment's BOM. In premium phones, BOM costs increased nearly 50%, with DRAM moving ahead of the SoC as the largest single component cost. For RamTrend, this is one of the clearest mobile-memory pricing signals in the queue. Higher LPDDR and NAND costs are already changing OEM order behavior and product mix, especially in lower-priced phones where margins are harder to protect.