Updated
Updated · Informa PLC · Jun 23
Global Smartphone ASP Hits $565 in 2026 as Shipments Drop 12.2% to 1.09 Billion
Updated
Updated · Informa PLC · Jun 23

Global Smartphone ASP Hits $565 in 2026 as Shipments Drop 12.2% to 1.09 Billion

3 articles · Updated · Informa PLC · Jun 23

Summary

  • $565 is Omdia’s forecast global smartphone average selling price for 2026, up 21% from $467 even as shipments fall 12.2% year on year to 1.093 billion units.
  • More than 80% quarter-on-quarter jumps in DRAM and NAND prices in 1Q26 — with further rises in 2Q26 — are squeezing margins and pushing vendors to pass costs to consumers.
  • 6.1% market-value growth despite lower volumes reflects a strategic shift away from low-cost phones; most major brands except Apple have raised prices and trimmed entry-level lineups.
  • Africa, the Middle East and Latin America face the heaviest demand hit because they rely more on low-end devices, while premium-heavy developed markets are expected to prove more resilient.
  • 2027 is expected to bring another, milder 0.9% shipment decline, with stabilization seen in late 2027 and meaningful volume recovery delayed until 2028.

Insights

As the AI chip 'supercycle' inflates iPhone prices, is the era of affordable technology officially over?
Will the AI-driven chip shortage finally force tech giants like Apple to build their own manufacturing plants?
With AI infrastructure spending nearing $1 trillion, is this computational arms race creating an unsustainable economic bubble?