Smartphone industry braces for permanently higher prices as memory costs climb

The era of steadily improving low-cost smartphones may be facing a serious interruption. New industry forecasts published on August 28 warn that rising memory costs, tighter component supply and shrinking global shipments could keep smartphone prices elevated through 2028. Memory is a particularly important pressure point because modern phones increasingly require larger quantities of RAM and storage to support on-device AI, high-resolution cameras and increasingly complex operating systems.

Premium manufacturers can absorb part of those increases inside already high retail prices, but budget phones operate on extremely thin margins. That means lower-cost devices may face smaller storage configurations, reduced specifications or straightforward price increases. The trend could have major consequences for mobile gaming as well. Developers rely on a constantly improving baseline of affordable Android hardware across India, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.

If entry-level performance stops advancing as quickly, publishers may need to maintain lighter clients and broader graphics settings for longer. PUBG Mobile Light's renewed emphasis on lower-end hardware suddenly looks particularly well timed.