China Phone Buyers Gain 618 Window Before Memory Chip Prices Jump 58%-75%
Updated
Updated · China Daily · May 26
China Phone Buyers Gain 618 Window Before Memory Chip Prices Jump 58%-75%
1 articles · Updated · China Daily · May 26
618 promotions and government digital-product subsidies have created a near-term sweet spot for smartphone buyers before higher component costs feed into retail prices.
TrendForce expects second-quarter 2026 contract prices for general-purpose DRAM to rise 58%-63% quarter on quarter and NAND flash to jump 70%-75%, driven by AI demand and tight supply.
Industry analysts say handset makers are likely to pass those memory costs on in the second half of 2026, with Citigroup projecting DRAM prices up 88% year on year and NAND up 74% this year.
Honor's newly launched 600 series illustrates the current pricing window, starting at 2,294 yuan after subsidies as brands use the 618 shopping festival to attract replacement demand.
As 'RAMageddon' erases budget PCs and hikes phone prices, is affordable tech becoming a thing of the past?
With memory chips now a strategic resource, can anyone challenge the industry giants before AI consumes all supply?
Is the AI memory 'super cycle' a bubble, and could China's new factories trigger a market crash instead?