5 Android phones that may be ruined by the RAM crisis

RAM prices have exploded in recent months owing to demand from AI-related companies. Unfortunately, this has resulted in various tech products seeing price increases, too.

Smartphones aren’t immune to this trend, either. The recently launched Galaxy S26 phones have seen price hikes, while OPPO, vivo, and OnePlus have all announced price increases in China.

It’s only a matter of time until more phones are affected by these price hikes, particularly in global markets. Here are a few notable Android phones that might be ruined by this RAM crisis.

Motorola is the top foldable phone maker in the US, accounting for nearly 50% of the market according to the IDC. That’s in large part due to phones like the competitively priced Razr (2025). The Razr (2026) is on the horizon, but I’m worried that it’ll be ruined by ballooning RAM and component prices.

The Razr (2025) launched at $699, but still delivered plenty of notable features. This includes a large cover display with fantastic software, a solid rear camera pairing, an IP48 rating (up from IPX8 in 2024), a 4,500mAh battery, and 15W wireless charging.

However, I’m concerned that Motorola could offer minimal upgrades or even downgrades to maintain that competitive price tag. I really hope it doesn’t downgrade the already middling Dimensity 7400X chipset. The other possibility is that Motorola hides a price hike behind some upgrades, as we saw with the base Galaxy S26.

The base Pixel 10 was a significant release for Google, as it was the first Tensor-powered base Pixel with a telephoto camera. Despite that, Google maintained the Pixel 9’s $799 price tag. Will the base Pixel 11 stay at $799? Ever-increasing memory and storage prices will add even more pressure than last year’s addition of a telephoto camera.

One saving grace is Google’s Tensor processor family. In-house chip design means Google can theoretically save money on sourcing a chipset, but the company is also relying on TSMC to manufacture these chips after years of using Samsung.

TSMC already has a long-standing reputation for being more expensive than Samsung. We previously reported that the Tensor G6 could be built on a 2nm TSMC process. This is bad news as it’s believed that 2nm TSMC chips will be very, very expensive. A Samsung-made Tensor G6 is looking good about now, eh? These price claims also follow reports that Samsung may have cut the price of 2nm manufacturing to better compete with TSMC.

Base Pixel flagships have also been criticized for only offering 128GB of storage, but we shouldn’t expect any storage upgrades if Google plans to keep the $799 price tag. And that’s a big “if.”

Samsung Electronics (including its mobile division) is reportedly operating under “emergency management” due to rising component and logistics costs. The company apparently took these steps despite pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 phones surpassing the Galaxy S25 range. In fact, it’s believed that Samsung could post a deficit later this year.

So if great sales of more expensive Galaxy S phones aren’t enough to prevent serious remedial measures and potential losses, then my hopes aren’t high for the Galaxy Z Flip 8 or even an updated FE model. I don’t anticipate that Samsung’s Folds will come under the same pressure, though, as these devices are far more expensive, giving Samsung more wiggle room to adapt.

The Samsung Galaxy A0x phones are the cheapest Galaxy smartphones you can get, priced well under $150 in many markets. You don’t get a ton of features for the price, but these phones still do the basics well enough.

Unfortunately, this might be a tough year for low-end phones, too, owing to RAM and component price hikes. Counterpoint Research reported earlier this month that the bill of materials (BoM) for a sub-$200 6GB RAM/128GB storage Android phone now costs 25% more than in Q4 2025. In fact, it projects that RAM will account for 43% of the total component costs.

This is bad news, as the vast majority of smartphone owners use budget phones in the first place. This means we could see low-end phones like the Galaxy A08 shipping with even less RAM to cut costs. It’s not like these phones have much memory to begin with, suggesting that performance issues will be a big concern. In that case, what’s the point of six years of OS updates if the phone will stutter and lag long before you receive the final update?

The OnePlus 15 was a polarizing release, bringing a powerful processor and a gigantic battery but inferior camera hardware. The phone still maintained its predecessor’s $899 price tag, though. However, the prevailing economic situation means all bets are off for the OnePlus 16.

OnePlus flagships have traditionally focused on performance, using the best chipset, speedy storage, and plenty of ultra-fast RAM. We already know that RAM and storage are pricey and only getting more expensive. However, some processors could also see a major price increase in the coming months. Qualcomm’s rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chip is expected to launch later this year and power the OnePlus 16. This chip is said to be significantly pricier than the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. That’s because it’s made on TSMC’s 2nm process, and the chip producer is apparently charging an arm and a leg for the privilege.

Where does that leave the OnePlus 16? There’s every chance OnePlus decides to hike the starting price while offering a few other upgrades to soften the blow. However, there’s also evidence that OnePlus is evolving into a gaming-focused brand, with the OnePlus 15 being a prime example. So don’t be surprised if the OnePlus 16 prioritizes horsepower at the expense of the camera experience and other categories.