Global RAM Shortage Will Raise Smartphone Prices in 2026, Analysts Say. But How Much?

David Lumb is a senior reporter covering mobile and gaming spaces. Over the last decade, he's reviewed phones for TechRadar as well as covered tech, gaming, and culture for Engadget, Popular Mechanics, NBC Asian America, Increment, Fast Company and others. As a true Californian, he lives for coffee, beaches and burritos.

The insatiable demand for more generative AI is spiking prices in computer parts, which could roll into pricier smartphones next year.

Years of cryptocurrency mining have elevated the prices of computer parts such as graphics cards. So it's not surprising to see this trend continue with the rise of generative AI and its unrelenting need for more computing power.

What the consumer tech world didn't expect was an increase in demand for memory ...