A new Bloomberg report overlaying IDC knowledge presents a dire outlook for the smartphone market in 2026 because of the present reminiscence chip disaster, however Apple and the iPhone might really profit in a single key method.
Apple prone to develop iPhone marketshare in 2026 on account of shrinking Android manufacturing
Vlad Savov writes at Bloomberg:
The worldwide smartphone market will contract 12.9% in 2026 due to the unprecedented reminiscence chip scarcity, marking “a disaster like no different,” in response to researcher IDC.
The brand new forecast, a dramatic revision down from earlier estimates, offers the most recent accounting of the continuing reminiscence crunch that’s affecting each nook of the electronics trade. The demand for superior reminiscence to energy synthetic intelligence duties has drained world provide till nicely into subsequent yr and now jeopardizes the enterprise mannequin of many smartphone makers.
Savov explains that the reminiscence disaster might create a significant shift within the smartphone market, with low-cost Android fashions being hit a lot tougher than the iPhone.
Why would Android be impacted extra? Due to the “already skinny revenue margins for a lot of Android gadget manufacturers.”
Basically, loads of Android makers received’t be capable of afford the upper DRAM and NAND prices of their finances smartphones, so it’s anticipated that fewer fashions might be produced total.
Finally, IDC predicts 2026 will see 1.1 billion smartphones shipped globally, down from 1.26 billion in 2025.
Nonetheless, the report provides: “Premium handsets, like the majority of Apple Inc.’s iPhone lineup, will climate the disaster higher.” We’ve seen reporting already that Apple plans to maintain its iPhone 18 pricing largely constant.
So though Apple may have loads of its personal challenges to face in the course of the reminiscence scarcity, it stands poised to earn a bigger share of the general smartphone market this yr as cheaper Android choices develop into untenable.
Do you count on Apple to boost iPhone costs this yr because of the reminiscence disaster? Tell us within the feedback.
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