In 2026, Smartphones and Laptops Could Get Pricier Yet More Modest in Specs

Electronics shoppers might be in for an unpleasant surprise early in 2026. Analyst forecasts suggest new smartphone and laptop models will not only keep climbing in price but also begin to lose ground on basic specifications. The ongoing shortage and rising prices of memory chips are forcing manufacturers to take unusual measures. Instead of the traditional annual RAM increases in new devices, companies are preparing to scale them back.

In the smartphone segment, the changes could affect all price categories. Premium models will see fewer offerings with 16GB of RAM, mid-range devices may widely lose their 12GB configurations, and entry-level models could revert to 4GB of RAM—a standard considered minimal several years ago. Meanwhile, the cost of these devices will likely be higher than that of comparable current-generation models.

The situation looks similar for laptops, with manufacturers planning to revise standard configurations. Even top-tier lineups may see fewer models with large memory capacities, and 8GB of RAM could once again become a common option in the mid-range segment—despite the fact that even Windows 11 finds this barely sufficient for basic tasks. Even major brands known for stable financial policies are considering revising their pricing strategies, including reducing discounts on previous-generation hardware.

In the short term, the situation is being softened by warehouse inventories of finished products assembled from components purchased at older prices. However, by mid-2026, the market will likely face a new wave of price hikes. Ultra-thin laptops, where memory is soldered to the board and non-upgradeable, and budget segments, where every specification change directly impacts the final cost, will be hit especially hard.

Thus, the annual cycle of spec improvements at stable or even declining prices may come to a halt. Consumers may have to get used to the idea that for the same or more money, they'll be getting devices with more modest parameters than they expected.