Global Smartphone SoC Shipments to Decline by 7 Percent in 2026 Amid Rising Memory Costs: Counterpoint

According to a new Counterpoint report, worldwide smartphone system-on chip (SoC) shipments may be declining in 2026. analysts have released their prediction for this year’s chipset market, claiming that the rising memory prices could be a major driver of smartphone brands and will affect processorshipments. Yet despite the decline, demand for premium smartphones could boost overall SoC market revenue in this calendar year, it is said. Furthermore, Apple and Qualcomm are said to be the most benefited by the new premiumisation trend.

Smartphone SoC Shipments to Take a Hit in 2026

Counterpoint Research’s Global Smartphone SoC Model Shipments and Revenue Tracker says the global smartphone Soc market is likely to be undergoing a “disease” with its shipments expected to drop by seven percent year-on-year (YoY) in. However, it has been claimed that this slowdown will be driven by rising memory prices due to the severe RAM shortage.

According to the report, “the effect of increasing memory component costs will be felt most in the sub-$150 (roughly Rs. The segment of 13,800) was where the smartphone shipments could drop because margins were shrinking, and smartphones would be in decline. However, Counterpoint notes that chip foundries and memory suppliers are increasingly putting high-margin HBM production on the table to support the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.

Nevertheless, the report added that “the brands which have invested in-house chipset development (including Samsung Google, Huawei and Xiaomi) will be exceptions to this headwind”. But it is not clear for some brands to say how long these brands will be able to sustain the component shortage.

But the analysts predict that in 2026, global chipset market will see double-digit revenue growth of revenues from a new premiumisation trend due to the emerging decline during the downturn, according to analyst forecasters. The trend is said to be that consumers are increasingly reliant on high-end smartphones, so smartphone brands will buy more flagship or mid-premium chipsets. The analyst for One Counterpoint said ‘It is likely that the next year, almost one in three smartphones will cost more than $500 (roughly Rs. Approximately 46,000) .

flagship smartphones in 2026 are said to be able to move from 3nm to 2nmm chips as part of the premiumisation drive, which is claimed by its manufacturers. In a notable way, Samsung is expected to begin mass production of its 2nm SoC (the Exynos 2600) soon after it has been called the ExYnos. Other players are likely to be in the race soon, as is .

Counterpoint says the demand for premium smartphones will benefit Apple and Qualcomm, two companies that already operate in the segment. MediaTek is also said to be closing the gap and will likely make further progress in the premium Android smartphone market. Further, it is also said that Samsung’s premium adoption of the device is’reaching up’ and aligned with its switch to 2nm chipsets.