“The 173 million sub-$100 smartphones shipped globally last year are disappearing, with shipments falling almost 60% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, according to IDC.”
Data centers are buying up the memory supply and the poorest buyers pay for it. Shipments of phones under $100 fell almost 60% in a year. Prices rose 21% in India and 5% in the US. The markets with the least money took the biggest increases.