Smartphone Shipments Crash to 13-Year Low Due to RAMageddon
Global smartphone shipments just got kneecapped, falling by 11% over the past three months to the lowest levels since 2013. The memory-chip shortage is to blame for pushing up prices and squeezing demand, according to Counterpoint Research.
The slowdown is a direct consequence of a supply-chain stalemate. As more chipmakers feed the demand for artificial intelligence, phone-makers are hiking prices and making consumers foot the bill.
The report says the shortage has had the greatest impact on memory-sensitive entry and midtier handset manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo. As consumers put off new smartphone purchases or traded down to prior-generation devices rather than upgrading, original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, recorded double-digit percentage shipment declines year over year "due to increased market volatility stemming from rising memory costs."
Meanwhile, the two leading phone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, stood out by doing the opposite of the market. Apple hit a...
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