Industry research firm Counterpoint Research has revised its outlook for the global smartphone market, now projecting a slight contraction in shipments in 2026. The adjustment is largely due to a sharp rise in memory chip prices, especially for DRAM (RAM) used in smartphones, as supply tightens against booming demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and other high-end computing sectors.

Dec 16 : Global smartphone shipments are expected to decline 2.1 per cent next year as rising chip costs are likely to impact demand, technology-focused market research firm Counterpoint said on Tuesday.Electronics supply chains around the world have been hit by a shortage of legacy memory chips in recent mon