As the AI boom keeps memory shortages running hot, steep price hikes for smartphones in the second half of 2026 are coming into view. Global market researchers have issued increasingly bleak forecasts, warning that "chipflation" could last through 2027 and that surging memory prices are already lifting the cost of consumer devices.
AI data center expansion and high-speed network upgrades continue to support demand for networking equipment. However, as the industry enters the second half of 2026, supplies of key components—including memory, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and passive components—remain tight, with lead times extending significantly.
OnePlus is exiting the North American and European markets for its future product launches, while sales of new Realme products will be suspended within its home market of China. The changes to both Oppo sub-brands signal the challenges low- to mid-tier brands face amid rising component costs and a tough global smartphone market this year.
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan Transportation Committee approved amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act in its first reading on July 13, significantly relaxing restrictions on foreign ownership and nationality requirements for satellite operators. The move is widely viewed as paving the way for SpaceX's Starlink to enter the Taiwanese market.
OnePlus, an Android brand that once cultivated a devoted following among enthusiasts, is reportedly preparing to cease operations in the US and Europe as early as this week, a withdrawal that reads less like an isolated stumble than a symptom of a smartphone market where soaring component costs are pricing value-focused vendors out.
