Sub-$100 smartphones becoming a rarity as AI memory prices soar

The days of the sub-$100 smartphone may be numbered Skip Navigation Markets Business Investing Tech Politics & Policy Video Watchlist Investing Club PRO Livestream Menu Key Points Some 173 million smartphones priced below $100 were shipped globally last year. In the second quarter of 2026, shipments in that segment fell almost 60% from a year earlier, IDC data showed. Sub-$100 devices accounted for 27.7% of global shipments for China's Xiaomi in the first half of 2025. A year later, that share had fallen to just 11.2%. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max rear display flagship smartphone by Xiaomi displayed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on March 3, 2026. Joan Cros | Nurphoto | Getty Images The days of the sub-$100 smartphone may be numbered as memory costs soar, with China seeing one of the more dramatic shakeups in price points. Some 173 million smartphones priced below $100 were shipped globally last year. In the second quarter of 2026, shipments in that segment fell almost 60% from a year earlier, IDC data showed . Sub-$100 devices accounted for 27.7% of global shipments for China's Xiaomi in the first half of 2025. A year later, that share had fallen to just 11.2%. Blame, in part, artificial intelligence's voracious appetite for memory. Chipmakers have prioritized higher-value products used in AI infrastructure, squeezing supplies of those used in smartphones and pushing up costs. Memory now accounts for almost 60% of the bill of materials for smartphones priced below $200, according to Omdia's Chow Sheng Win. "Low-end phones are becoming uneconomic to manufacture," IDC Vice President of Client Device Research Bryan Ma said. In a bid to lift margins, Chinese manufacturers are moving up-market. As cheaper models become uneconomic to produce, manufacturers are pruning them from their line-ups, pushing the overall market higher. Neil Shah at Counterpoint Research estimates Xiaomi's average selling price has risen about 30% since 2023 to $197, while Oppo's has climbed by a similar amount to $300. Xiaomi's sub-$200 share of shipments fell from 60% to 52.5% over the same period, according to IDC data. In mainland China, less than 20% of Xiaomi's volume is below $200, according to Chow. That shift was on display this week when Xiaomi unveiled its higher-end 18 Fold, starting at 10,999 yuan ($1,640) and aimed squarely at the premium segment. Xiaomi didn't immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours. Chinese vendors are able to counter some of the pricing pressure, as they earn lucrative internet services and app revenues at home. Still, prices are unlikely to retreat anytime soon. Shah says it is difficult to see prices returning to 2024 or early-2025 levels because memory manufacturers have little incentive to add capacity for the low end. Even if the memory crunch eases, Ma said, "that just means that the price increases moderate," not reverse. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news. Recommended Video watch now VIDEO 6:55 06:55 IDC: Smartphone 'premiumization' accelerates as the low end fades Squawk Box Asia