[Global smartphone shipments plunge 22%, marking the worst quarter on record]

Published: Oct 15, 2026 13:17 (GMT+8)

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According to data from market research firm IDC, smartphone shipments plunged 22% in Q3 due to rising memory chip costs, marking the steepest decline on record, and the situation could worsen further. IDC noted that over the past year, order demand from the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has driven up memory chip costs, severely eroding profitability across the entire handset industry and forcing producers to raise selling prices, lower product specifications, and abandon low-cost models aimed at budget-conscious consumers. IDC research director Nabila Popal said: "Current indicators show the market has not yet hit bottom. Memory chip costs have surged roughly 350% since last year and are still rising, putting enormous pressure on producers' margins and shipments. The worst is yet to come.

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