Memory Price Surge Pressures Smartphone SoC Shipments

EE Times Asia reports that global smartphone SoC shipments fell 8% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, citing Counterpoint Technology Market Research. The source says an ongoing memory crunch is affecting both smartphone OEMs and SoC vendors, forcing companies to adjust product plans and portfolios. The memory-market signal is direct. The article says memory prices rose 50% to 55% quarter over quarter in Q1 2026 and are expected to rise another 80% to 85% quarter over quarter in Q2 2026. Higher memory costs are being passed through more easily in premium phones, while entry-level vendors are moving toward lower-cost chipsets to protect retail pricing. For RamTrend readers, this connects memory pricing to device mix. If handset makers reduce features or change SoC suppliers because of memory costs, DRAM and mobile storage inflation is no longer just a component-market issue; it is altering product strategy. The report is focused on smartphone SoCs rather than memory vendors, but the pricing figures and supply-chain impact make it relevant to mobile memory demand and buyer behavior.