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TrendForce says mobile DRAM prices are still rising sharply in 2Q26, adding another cost problem for smartphone vendors already cutting production plans in response to the wider memory squeeze.

In its latest memory market research, the firm estimates that average selling prices for LPDDR4X solutions will rise by at least 70-75% quarter-on-quarter in 2Q26. LPDDR5X is expected to move even faster, with ASPs up 78-83% quarter-on-quarter. The move comes after several consecutive quarters of steep increases and is now feeding directly into handset product planning.

Mobile DRAM prices split supplier strategies

TrendForce said Samsung Electronics and SK hynix appear to be taking different pricing routes. Samsung is described as using a more aggressive one-step approach, while preliminary SK hynix quotations point to a milder, gradual increase. Final pricing is expected to be completed in late May.

The immediate issue is not only whether phone brands can absorb the higher bill of materials. TrendForce says some may struggle to meet the bit procurement volumes covered by long-term agreements or memoranda of understanding signed with suppliers at the end of last year. That matters because handset vendors tried to lock in supply before the latest round of price rises, but the economics of those commitments now look harder.

Memory configurations move down

Persistently high DRAM pricing is also changing the memory mix inside phones. TrendForce expects 12 GB to become the mainstream high-end configuration, while adoption of 16 GB models falls back. Mid-range phones are shifting towards 8 GB as the core specification, while entry-level devices are mostly settling around 4 GB.

That does not mean average capacity is falling. TrendForce still expects average smartphone DRAM content to reach 8.5 GB in 2026, up 10% year-on-year, partly because 2 GB and 3 GB models are being phased out and fewer very low-spec phones are being produced.

Mobile DRAM prices underline shipment reset

The mobile DRAM prices update fits a broader reset in the handset market. As previously reported by eeNews Europe when IDC forecast a 2026 smartphone memory shortage, global smartphone shipments are expected to fall 12.9% this year to about 1.12 billion units. The pressure is strongest in the low end of Android, where higher DRAM and NAND costs leave little margin to defend sub-US$100 or sub-US$150 models.

Gartner has also warned that rising memory costs will push smartphone shipments down in 2026 and shift demand towards premium devices. For phone makers, the practical response is likely to be a combination of fewer ultra-low-cost models, lower memory configurations at the same price point, and more software work to reduce local memory demand. TrendForce says vendors are already looking at closer co-operation with app developers and greater use of cloud resources to keep systems workable as DRAM remains expensive.

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