Smartphones may once again come with only 4GB of RAM due to shortages

The global smartphone market may be set back due to an acute shortage of RAM. According to TrendForce, cited by WccfTech, the lack of DRAM is forcing manufacturers to reconsider their usual device configurations and postpone the transition to large amounts of RAM until at least 2027.

In the upcoming lines, basic and affordable models may again receive only 4 GB of RAM instead of the current 6–8 GB, while in the mid-range segment, 12 GB will gradually give way to configurations with 6–8 GB. At the same time, the development of flagships is actually slowing down: options with 16 GB and more, including 24 GB, which were recently actively promoted, may temporarily disappear from the focus of manufacturers.

The situation is complicated by the change in priorities of memory suppliers. In particular, Samsung is reducing the release of HBM and is betting on DDR5, trying to get maximum profit in conditions of shortage. This only increases the pressure on the mobile segment.

Analysts believe that such a step back could encourage the industry to further optimize software. Smartphone manufacturers may increase pressure on Google to make Android work more efficiently with less memory. At the same time, the development of local AI is working in the opposite direction: the need for RAM is only growing, and there are already predictions that about 20 GB may become the necessary minimum for language models to work on the device.

To mitigate the consequences, companies are looking for alternatives. Apple is studying the possibility of storing large language models in flash memory instead of RAM, and Samsung is working on a specialized UFS 4.0 optimized for generative AI. In parallel, manufacturers are considering a more practical step – the mass return of microSD slots, which will help to keep smartphone prices down amid rising component prices.