The common smartphone will get extra storage in 2026, regardless of worth hikes

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TL;DR

A brand new report initiatives that the common storage capability of a smartphone will improve by almost 5% in 2026. This comes within the wake of latest worth hikes for RAM, storage, and different parts. It’s believed that AI for flagship telephones and the discontinuation of low-capacity NAND flash are contributing to this pattern.

RAM, storage, and different parts are all getting dearer, that means smartphone makers are in for a difficult yr. In actual fact, we’ve already seen worth will increase as corporations grapple with the RAM disaster and different points. Nevertheless, a brand new report means that common storage capability may really see a notable improve this yr.

Trendforce initiatives that the common storage capability for smartphones will improve by 4.8% in 2026. This follows expectations that smartphone makers would really scale back storage specs this yr, owing to rising NAND flash storage costs.

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<img class="e_lg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge light@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge light@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png"/><img class="e_lg" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="9.375rem" title="google preferred source badge dark@2x" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png 676w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x-64w-20h.png 64w" alt="google preferred source badge dark@2x" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png"/> Trendforce explains what’s really fueling this projected improve in common storage capability:

This progress is fueled by the discontinuation of low-capacity fashions as NAND producers improve their processes, together with elevated AI-related demand in flagship smartphones from main manufacturers.

The corporate elaborated on a few of these causes, noting that high-end cell manufacturers like Apple and HUAWEI have elevated their system storage capacities as they develop their native AI capabilities. In actual fact, the monitoring agency claims these native AI fashions require 40 to 60GB of system storage for processing. Extra particularly, the Apple iPhone 17 now provides 256GB of base storage as an alternative of 128GB, whereas HUAWEI is selling 512GB of storage on the Mate 80 sequence. We’ve additionally seen the Galaxy S26 undertake 256GB of beginning storage after years of Samsung providing 128GB as the most cost effective choice.

Some smartphone makers with price range handsets are additionally “discontinuing or lowering” shipments of low-capacity fashions with decreased revenue margins. These corporations are as an alternative specializing in 128GB or 256GB configurations.

Trendforce additionally has some excellent news for those who had been hoping to say goodbye to 128GB of storage in flagships:

Wanting forward, because the AI utility ecosystem continues to mature, the 128 GB storage tier might steadily disappear from mainstream Android smartphones by the top of 2026, with 256 GB rising as the brand new commonplace configuration.

Nonetheless, rising storage capability looks like one of many few vibrant spots in what's an in any other case more and more darkish image for the smartphone business in 2026.