2026 could bring the end of affordable mid-range Android phones
Phone prices have been rising for years due to a long list of factors. Most of the time, the increases seemed gradual, fair and manageable. However, recent memory price spikes have hit the entire tech sector hard, and phones are no exception.
The real pressure is especially felt on devices where margins are already thin: the economy and mid-range segment. While flagships can absorb some of the extra memory costs thanks to their higher price caps, cheaper phones may be forced to make decisions that no one wants.
New phones cost more to build than ever
Mid-range phones have seen incremental improvements over the years, largely due to economies of scale. As sophisticated new technologies appear on flagship products, the costs of manufacturing and purchasing these parts slowly decline and eventually trickle down to the mid-range segment.
This is how a company like Nothing can sell a phone like the 3a for $379 and deliver 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 120Hz AMOLED display, decent cameras (including a 50MP telephoto lens), a 5,000mAh battery, clean software, and a pretty capable mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC, all packed into a phone that’s unlike any other. other budgetary unit.
However, what makes this year particularly challenging is the massive increase in the price of memory, both RAM and storage.
According to TrendForce, global smartphone shipments could decline by around 10% year-over-year as bill of materials (BOM) costs increase. The cost of memory has almost tripled and could now alone represent 30 to 40% of the total cost of a smartphone’s components.
You’ve probably heard about the AI boom that has caused the so-called “RAM-pocalypse,” but the problem is that storage and RAM are essential components that every phone needs to function. Reducing storage or RAM would be an extremely unpopular strategy: you need a certain amount of storage for apps and media, and your phone needs enough RAM to maintain smooth performance.
This is a major issue on all phones, but it’s especially concerning on devices where there’s already little budget left for meaningful upgrades. We’re used to seeing generous amounts of RAM and storage in phones that cost around $300, so if these devices suddenly start shipping with as much memory as phones from four years ago, that’s a problem.
The $300-$500 range could see significantly higher prices or a spec plateau.
Over the past few years, mid-range phones have managed to hit the sweet spot that everyone seems happy with: people get sub-flagship specs in a modern device that will receive updates for several years, and manufacturers can charge a small margin, relying on unit sales to generate profit.
However, this strategy simply won’t work in 2026. If a $400 phone that costs $200 in parts to make suddenly costs $260 while still having the same amount of RAM and storage, there’s simply nothing left for the manufacturer to make the phone worth selling. They either need to sell the phone at a price closer to $500 to make a profit or reduce the RAM and storage to maintain the $400 price.
Samsung has not officially announced the Samsung Galaxy A37 at the time of writing, but if GSMArena’s spec sheet is to be believed, the phone could be almost identical to the Galaxy A36 while removing the 12GB RAM variant. If this turns out to be true, it’s frankly difficult to recommend the A37 in a world where you can get an A36 at a deep discount.
Other Samsung Galaxy A-series phones could meet the same fate, as could other budget devices like the Nothing Phone A-series, most Motorola phones, and the Pixel A-series. Mid-range “flagship” phones could be hit hardest, however, as these devices often rely on a combination of relatively powerful SoCs and large amounts of RAM to handle demanding applications like gaming.
Besides increasing the price or reducing the memory, there is actually a third option: keep the memory and price the same, but reduce the specs elsewhere. A 120Hz screen could become 90Hz, the SoC could stay from the previous generation or move to a cheaper chip, the cameras could be slightly downgraded, and even the build quality could see some corners cut, like replacing glass backs and aluminum frames with plastic.
I don’t think many manufacturers will opt for this, as they are all minor but detrimental downgrades while manufacturing prices remain high due to memory.
These cheap Samsung Galaxy phones are surprisingly great
I challenge you to know the difference.
It’s Not All Bad News: You Can Still Buy Last Year’s Phones
Even though 2026 isn’t shaping up to be a good year for smartphones, it’s not all bad news. If you are planning to upgrade to a new phone this year but are now worried about RAM and storage, I suggest you just grab a phone from last year or even the year before.
A flagship refurbished from a few years ago might be the best option.
For example, the Galaxy S24+ can be easily purchased for around $400 now, and it’s still a perfectly powerful phone that packs 256GB or 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, paired with a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and a decent all-around package.
The phone is still set to receive five more years of major Android updates if Samsung keeps its promise, so your two-year-old flagship won’t become obsolete anytime soon.
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If you prefer to stick with last year’s mid-range, the aforementioned Nothing Phone 3a remains a solid option with 12GB of RAM at a price of $379. Few phones will offer this much RAM under $400 this year. The Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro is another great choice at the same price if RAM is your main concern.
8/10
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 mobile platform
- Display
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6.77-inch flexible AMOLED
The Phone (3a) series features clean geometric shapes, flat surfaces and straight sides, all of which lend a sense of sophistication compared to its predecessor.
