New leak reveals how budget phones could change in wake of RAM crisis

RAM prices have spiked in recent months as AI companies buy up all the memory. This has already resulted in price increases across the consumer tech segment, and the situation shows no sign of improving. Budget and mid-range phones are particularly vulnerable to these price hikes, but a leaker has revealed how smartphone makers are adapting.

Veteran leaker Digital Chat Station has asserted on Weibo that manufacturers are gearing up for several major changes, ostensibly in the wake of the RAM crisis. Check out the machine-translated post below.

For one, the tipster claims that 8GB/512GB phones are back on the menu. It’s unclear what this configuration would replace, but we’re guessing this could be an alternative to 12GB/512GB or even 12GB/256GB variants in mid-tier and upper mid-range devices. This configuration would make some sense, as RAM now accounts for a large share of the bill of materials (BoM), although storage costs have also increased since last year.

Counterpoint Research recently reported that, in the case of a phone with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, RAM and storage were projected to account for 14% and 11% of BoM costs respectively by the end of Q1. Furthermore, these figures could jump by 20% and 16% by Q2.

What else to expect as a result of RAM crisis?

The most welcome change is the apparent return of the hybrid SIM slot. This slot supports either a SIM or a microSD card, although phones with this option usually have a separate, SIM-only slot as well. This would be a welcome return, as microSD cards are a cheap yet effective way to expand phone storage. It also comes in the wake of those aforementioned storage price hikes.

Digital Chat Station adds that plastic frames and “short-focus” fingerprint scanners (ostensibly optical scanners) are also making a comeback in 2026. The leaker specifically mentions “3K,” which presumably refers to the 3,000 yuan (~$436) price segment. This segment includes phones like the OPPO Reno 15, OnePlus Ace 6T, and Samsung Galaxy A56. So don’t be surprised if your next upper mid-range phone or affordable flagship has a plastic frame and optical fingerprint scanner.

Finally, one truly disappointing feature slated for a comeback is the 90Hz screen with a waterdrop notch. This has been a mainstay on low-end phones like the $200 Galaxy A17 and the ~$120 Redmi 15C. But it seems like this feature could come to a few slightly more expensive phones.

In any event, it sounds like mid-range phones will offer less bang for buck in 2026 owing to AI companies. So you should definitely take a close look at price tags and spec sheets this year. However, I hope hybrid SIM card slots in particular make a comeback on flagship Android phones too.