Friday, May 15th 2026 Mobile DRAM Contract Prices Continue Rising in 2Q26, Pressuring Smartphone Production Press Release by TheLostSwede Friday, 16:10 Discuss 7 Comments Surging mobile DRAM contract prices in 2Q26 continue to place even greater cost pressure on smartphone brands, according to Tren… …
… The slowdown reflects broader pressure across the PC hardware industry. DRAM prices, SSD costs, and graphics card pricing have all increased significantly over the past year. …
… However, due to structural fluctuations in the global supply chain, several key components are experiencing significant cost pressure, particularly memory DRAM and storage components NAND / SSD . …
… The ability to secure high‑performance DRAM and HBM now directly shapes who can scale AI deployments, how quickly they can bring new capabilities online and at what cost. …
… "The memory cost pressure is structural, not cyclical. …
… As we noted recently, DRAM costs now make up a whopping 35 percent of the Bill of Materials BOM of a given entry-level handset, while NAND costs add another 19 percent. Together, these two components now make up a whopping 54 percent of a budget smartphone's total cost! …
… In comparison, DRAM will account for 14% of device BoM in mid-range devices and 23% in flagship phones, according to the report. Low-end wholesale price $800 : Flagships are going to face dual cost pressures from high-capacity memory and 2nm flagship SoCs. …
… DRAM is expected to account for 20–23% of phone BOM costs in mid-tier and premium smartphones in Q2 2026 — up from well below 7% a year earlier for LPDDR5X. That’s a dramatic increase, and one that will force manufacturers to either cut elsewhere or pass costs on to consumers. …
… Chip firms this week are reporting progress in 3-D integration for all types of memory—dynamic random-access memory DRAM , static random-access memory SRAM , and NAND flash—as well as in image sensors and wireless pressure sensors . …
… That may not sound dramatic, but low-cost laptops run on thin margins. When memory eats a bigger chunk of the build cost, manufacturers have less room to offer cheap machines. "The very low cost options of the PC market are disappearing," Ubrani says, giving Chromebooks as an example. …