Marketplace Tech · Thursday, October 29, 2026
Garrett Schneeman, principal analyst at CounterPoint Research, reported that global phone prices have risen by an average of 15 percent due to memory shortages and price spikes driven by surging AI demand. He noted that lower-end and mid-range devices are experiencing a greater impact than premium devices, leading manufacturers to engage in de-specking.
“Garrett Schneeman is principal analyst at CounterPoint Research, which recently reported global phone prices have jumped by an average of 15 percent, and even more in markets where consumers can least afford it.”
“So mid-range and entry-level devices are seeing a bigger impact of this memory price increase versus premium devices. And we've seen a lot of de-specking, reducing camera resolution, changing the display, changing the battery configuration,”