Memory Cost Surge Weighs on Smartphone SoC Shipments in 1H 2026

Global smartphone SoC shipments fell 15% year over year in the first half of 2026, according to EE Times Asia's coverage of Counterpoint Technology Market Research. The report points to higher memory costs, cautious inventory management by smartphone OEMs, and longer replacement cycles as contributors to the decline. It also says MediaTek and Qualcomm shipments dropped by more than 25% year over year, while Apple, Samsung, Google, and UNISOC posted growth for different reasons. For RamTrend, this is a meaningful mobile-memory demand and pricing signal. The article specifically says the memory crisis hurt MediaTek's low-end and entry-level 5G chipset business, while some entry models migrated toward UNISOC 4G platforms to reduce bill-of-material costs. That suggests memory pricing is not just a supplier-margin issue; it is changing handset OEM platform decisions and pressuring lower-end device economics.