Apple and Samsung benefit as memory shortage pushes smartphone shipments to historic lows
Global smartphone shipments have hit their lowest second-quarter levels since 2013, largely due to rising memory chip costs. Manufacturers are prioritizing AI-related hardware, which has driven up prices for consumer devices and dampened market demand.
Why it matters
The shift in semiconductor allocation toward AI is creating supply chain bottlenecks that negatively impact the affordability and availability of consumer electronics.
RAMpocalypse continues Apple and Samsung benefit as memory shortage pushes smartphone shipments to historic lows The biggest smartphone makers keep on trucking in the face of component shortages and economic uncertainty.
2 Credit: Ryan Whitwam Credit: Ryan Whitwam Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Smartphone shipments started to plateau a few years back, ending the days of guaranteed double-digit growth for any company that wanted to make phones. Fewer smartphone manufacturers exist today, and they’re facing new pressure in the age of AI. A new report claims that smartphone shipments cratered 11 percent in the last quarter. Some are weathering the storm better than others, though.
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