DRAM memory prices have skyrocketed, soaring more than 600% over the past year. Not only RAM and NAND SSDs, but prices of routers and set-top boxes (STBs) are also predicted to rise in the consumer segment.
An analysis by Counterpoint Research’s Memory Price Tracker indicates that this price increase will continue until at least June 2026. Prices are likely to peak in the first half of 2026.
Other consumer products such as routers, gateways, and set-top boxes have been most affected, based on monthly trends since last year. Over the past nine months, smartphone memory prices have tripled, but prices of “consumer memory”-based broadband products have soared nearly sevenfold.
This raises alarm bells for telecommunications companies targeting aggressive rollouts of fiber-optic or fixed wireless access broadband (high-speed home/business internet services that use radio signals (wireless) from base stations instead of physical cables) by 2026.
“It is important for telecommunications companies to closely monitor these pricing dynamics, identify which OEMs have secured sufficient supply, and track updated BOM costs and price trends,” wrote Counterpoint.
Research firm Counterpoint also predicts that global smartphone shipments will shrink by 2.1 percent in 2026, with mobile phone prices soaring by 6.9 percent. This increase directly impacts the bill of materials (BOM) costs of devices. Currently, the cost of low-end mobile phone components has increased by around 25 percent compared to the beginning of the year.
Mid-range phones have recorded a BOM cost increase of around 15 percent, while flagship smartphones have increased by around 10 percent. If the predictions for the second quarter of 2026 are realized, these costs could potentially increase by another 8 to 15 percent.
