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Economy & business1 min

IDC Forecasts Historic 12.9% Decline in Global Smartphone Sales for 2026 Due to Soaring Memory Prices

Key Points
  • IDC forecasts a 12.9% decline in global smartphone sales for 2026, the largest drop ever recorded.
  • Soaring memory prices are the primary cause, expected to make smartphones significantly more expensive.
  • The Middle East and Africa are projected to see the steepest declines at 20.6%.

9% in 2026 compared to the previous year. This would represent the largest decline ever recorded and the lowest sales volumes in over a decade. The primary driver of this expected downturn is soaring memory prices, which are anticipated to make smartphones significantly more expensive in the coming months.

6% in those regions. The forecast highlights significant challenges facing the smartphone industry as consumers delay purchases amid rising device costs.

not a temporary tightening but a tsunami-like shock that arises in the memory supply chain with effects that spread across the entire consumer electronics industry

Francisco Jeronimo, from IDC

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