- IDC projects a record 16.7% drop in global smartphone shipments for 2026 due to severe memory shortages.
- Sub-$100 Android devices are disappearing as average selling prices jump 27.6% to $581.
- Buyers are shifting toward premium devices and foldables, with Apple’s September 9 event expected to accelerate growth in the category.
Walking into a retail shop with $250 used to mean leaving with a stellar budget handset that punched well above its weight class. That reality started slipping away earlier this year when Android sales tanked 14% in the US, giving us an early hint of broader supply troubles ahead. Fast forward to today, and store displays look completely different. Cheap options are quietly vanishing, mid-range price tags are creeping upward, and IDC’s latest quarterly forecast confirms what we have all been sensing: the era of the budget smartphone is officially over.
According to IDC’s August 2026 report, worldwide smartphone shipments are expected to plummet by a record 16.7% this year. That marks a sharp downward revision from the 13.9% decline projected back in May.