Apple Inc., Qualcomm Inc., and MediaTek are all set to advance their smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) offerings to the 2nm process node in 2026. This coordinated move signals the three giants' determination to maintain technological leadership, even as the incremental benefits of process improvements come under scrutiny.

China's major smartphone manufacturers are revising their 2026 shipment forecasts downward amid tightening memory supply and surging prices, according to Jiemian News. Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Transsion have reportedly reduced their full-year smartphone shipment forecasts amid escalating upstream material costs that are increasingly pressuring mid- to low-end device segments, particularly those targeting overseas markets.

Vivo has recently shown strong performance driven by robust sales of its X300 smartphone series. However, as the company looks to 2026, industry analysts warn that it will encounter substantial challenges from Huawei's resurgence in China, Xiaomi and Oppo's aggressive strategies, and the anticipated success of Apple's iPhone 17.

Memory price increases are significantly affecting consumer electronics, with smartphones and notebooks facing the greatest challenges, while TVs experience milder but still notable impacts. The surge in memory costs is not only driving up production expenses but also compressing profit margins for vendors and system integrators globally.

Despite supply-chain pressure and memory shortages, the global smartphone market remained resilient in 2025, supported by strong demand for high-end models, foldable devices, and early upgrade cycles driven by expectations of future price increases.

Despite significant jumps in memory costs threatening smartphone affordability, Oppo has chosen to enhance rather than downgrade its latest A6 mid- to low-end models. The company retained standard memory sizes while improving battery capacity, display quality, and other key features, aiming to boost value for consumers.

Realme, once an independent smartphone brand, will be reintegrated as a sub-brand under Oppo in a strategic move to enhance competitive positioning. This realignment will see Oppo managing three main brands: Oppo, Realme, and OnePlus, each targeting distinct market segments.

MediaTek has launched the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 mobile processors, both carrying over key technologies from the company's flagship Dimensity platform. The new chips deliver upgrades in performance, power efficiency, AI processing, imaging, gaming, and connectivity, targeting the premium smartphone market.

The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) applications has pushed cloud service providers to increase capital expenditures on data centers, prompting major memory manufacturers to shift production towards high-margin, high-performance products such as HBM and DDR5. This strategic realignment has led to a sharp reduction in the supply of niche memory types, especially those used in network communication devices, exacerbating price hikes and supply shortages that are expected to impact Taiwanese vendors through the first half of 2026.

The ongoing memory supply shortage is impacting overall smartphone shipments, with no immediate resolution in sight. Market forecasts predict a decline in global smartphone demand in 2026 compared with 2025, with entry-level models expected to be hit the hardest. Industry players also anticipate a rise in the average selling price (ASP) of new smartphones in 2026, which is expected to create more favorable conditions for growth in the secondhand smartphone market.