The RAM crisis will see smartphone specs go backwards in 2026, experts warn – here’s why

• With RAM in high demand for AI data centres, prices for it are rising
• As a result, smartphone makers may choose to equip their upcoming phones with less RAM than originally planned
• In some cases, that might mean they have less RAM than we’re used to

We’ve been hearing a lot about how rising RAM prices could lead to higher costs for upcoming smartphones, but this unwelcome increase is now looking like it might also – or alternatively – lead to weaker smartphone specs.

According to a TrendForce report, it’s likely that high-end smartphones will slow their transition to 16GB of RAM. That essentially means, for models that have 12GB currently, like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25, we’ll likely see their successors also have 12GB of RAM, rather than getting an increase.

But for lower-end models, the specs might actually decrease, with mid-range phones apparently likely to no longer come in 12GB configurations, instead topping out at 8GB. Low-end models could also be restricted to 4GB, where currently some have 6GB or 8GB of RAM.