Connect with us

Tech

RAM Shortage Could Kill Budget Phones: The Latest Predictions at MWC 2026

​The race to build AI infrastructure has gobbled up so much memory that prices have skyrocketed, with analysts predicting that product costs will rise as a result. But the outlook is far worse than anticipated. New reports and forecasts suggest that the RAM shortage could prompt manufacturers of cheaper devices to reduce or even stop production for some time.. Smartphone shipments are expected to drop by 13% through 2026 compared with last year, according to the International Data Corporation. This won’t just be a temporary crisis, but “a tsunami-like shock originating in the memory supply chain, with ripple effects spreading across the entire consumer electronics industry,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for Worldwide Client Devices at IDC, had previously said in a statement.. When reached at MWC 2026, Jeronimo predicted that this impact won’t happen immediately. Phone sales will stay pretty static over the first quarter of the year (which is almost over) as distributors buy as much stock as they can, but the shortage will start affecting phone production around the second quarter, between April and June.. Phones are already getting more expensive, as analysts predicted. The Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, which both launched with a $100 price hike over their predecessors — though they also bumped the minimum storage to 256GB from 128GB. But the premium segment likely won’t be as affected as lower-cost, higher-volume phones, said Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy.. “That’s why you’re already seeing the Chinese [phone manufacturers] have to jack up prices already,” Sag said.. With the shortage, RAM prices are spiking, reaching three times last year’s levels, according to a Counterpoint Research report released at the end of February. The cheapest devices, already on thin margins, will likely see their profits evaporate. At that point, it’s not worth selling those phones.. “Some vendors are telling us that they are considering leaving that [budget] segment entirely, because if you sell a phone for $150, and half the cost is memory, where will you make money? There’s no point in selling products, right?” Jeronimo said.. If the cheapest budget segment drops out of the phone industry over the next year, that’s 10% of the global market that will be gone, Jeronimo noted.. The shortage is already affecting plans for the prices of phones set to launch. At MWC 2026, several phones were shown off without finalized prices, like the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite shown off at MWC that is soon being sold on Kickstarter. Before the RAM shortage, the price of an upcoming phone would be set weeks or months in advance of its release to store shelves. Now, it’s too risky to name a price until just before it’s sold. They just might not have enough memory to even supply the first batch of products at the preset price, Jeronimo said, and potentially raise prices thereafter.. As an example, the base Xiaomi 17 recently launched at 999 euros, but  

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

Best Unlimited Data Plans for 2026

​When you have a phone plan with unlimited data, you can stream your favorite shows, play games all day and just stay on top of things without interruption. However, the details behind the most popular unlimited plans can be complicated, which is why we’ve looked at data amounts, performance, pricing and perks to pick our recommended postpaid plans from three major carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.. What is the best unlimited phone plan overall?. We’d love to point to one plan and say, “Get this one,” truly. But phone plans are designed to appeal to all kinds of people by offering all kinds of options. You might value price over perks if you just need a plan that will keep you connected at all times. Or maybe you’re a frequent traveler and you want endless high-speed data and higher-resolution video streaming and are willing to pay for those features.. Assuming network coverage is good-to-great — which isn’t a given, but for the sake of argument — then cost becomes a major factor, in which case T-Mobile’s Essentials plan delivers the basics at a good value. At the other end, T-Mobile’s Experience More or Verizon’s Unlimited Plus give you plenty of features without paying the full prices of their top plans. However, there’s one thing to note about the most expensive plans: They often get the best trade-in or included device offers to entice customers to sign up for the most lucrative plans.. Best unlimited data plans for a single line. Pros. T-Mobile’s 5G network is generally robust. Plan includes 50GB of high-speed data in the US. Phone can be used as a hotspot. Unlimited calls, texts and data in Canada and Mexico. Cons. Data in Canada and Mexico limited to very slow 2G speeds. Hotspot is limited to 3G speeds. No five-year price guarantee. Everyone must be on the same plan. Taxes and fees aren’t included in monthly cost. The T-Mobile Essentials Saver plan offers unlimited data usage and includes 50GB of “Premium” data, which is the fastest-capable 5G rate available in your area. After 50GB, speeds are reduced to 3G levels for the remainder of the month. However, that Premium may not always be so premium: T-Mobile notes in the fine print that “Essentials customers may notice speeds lower than other customers and further reduction if using >50GB/month, due to data prioritization.”. You can use your phone as a mobile hotspot, also with unlimited data, but at 3G speeds. High-speed hotspot access is available as an add-on. Internationally, calls, text and data are unlimited while in Canada and Mexico, but the data is restricted to 2G speeds. Elsewhere, calls cost 25 cents per minute and texts are unlimited at no extra charge when you’re in roughly 215 countries.. As for other T-Mobile features, you’ll have to look further up the plan menu. Essentials Saver and Essentials don’t carry the 5-year price guarantee found in the Experience plans, nor does it include T-Satellite texting access, but you can add the Starlink-based service as an optional ad  

Continue Reading

Tech

Why MacBook Neo Is Going to Change Everything

​I need you to understand why the MacBook Neo is a big deal.. Maybe it’s not clear to you yet because you haven’t put your fingers on it to know it handles like a premium machine. Maybe it’s hard to feel the joy a pink or yellow laptop brings until you open one with colorful keys.. Watch this: Apple Gets It Right! Hands-on with MacBook Neo. Maybe you scoff at the specs, because it runs an iPhone processor and has 8 gigs of RAM, but you don’t realize the A18 Pro chip performs better than the M1 in MacBooks still being sold today (which also still come with 8 gigs of RAM).. Maybe you don’t think about how, for most people, a MacBook Air with an M5 chip that costs over $1,000 is overkill for their needs. It’s possible you’re not considering all the people who own an iPhone, but don’t bother investing in a MacBook because of its cost.. I got a chance to tinker with the Neo this week, Apple’s newest 13-inch machine that starts at $599 and does everything I need, with style and pizazz to boot. It has a 1080p front camera for video calls. The battery lasts 16 hours. And students can get it discounted to $499. By all measures, I didn’t feel any of the compromises on features were major. For the first time, we have a MacBook priced to compete with mid-range Windows laptops and Chromebooks.. In this week’s episode of One More Thing, embedded above, I take you along as I experience the Neo for the first time, along with exploring other hardware Apple updated this week, including the iPhone 17e and new accessories.. This might just be Apple’s smartest move in hardware in years. This is the moment where the MacBook isn’t just for rich kids or creative professionals. Many people own an iPhone but opt for cheaper computers to do basic work. And now, by Apple lowering the gate of entry, you’ll see more first-time Mac owners enjoy the benefits of having a laptop that syncs better with their iPhone software and services.. Apple held a special event in New York City on Wednesday, inviting journalists and video personalities a chance to get up close with the new machines. When Apple’s vice president of hardware, John Ternus, debuted the Neo to the crowd, he explained the purpose of its creation was simple:. “We want to get the Mac into as many people’s hands as possible,” he said.. During my time at the event, it was clear that the main mission of the Neo is to attract people who have never bought a Mac before. But I also see it as a smart buy for commuters or those wanting a secondary machine for the family.. I also got to demo products on the other end of the spectrum. It’s easy to lust over the specs of the latest MacBook Pros, now with the option to get a M5 Pro or Max chip that’s stuffed to the gills with more cores than I’ll ever need. A fully tricked-out model can go as high as $6,899. I saw the benefits by watching someone use AI to code an app in under a minute. In a blink, another program used AI to layer new instruments on a music track.. But creatives hav  

Continue Reading

Tech

MWC 2026 Live: All the Robots Phones, Concepts, AI and Labubu-Like Bots We Saw

​Part phone, part lighter. It can make calls and make fire. David Lumb/CNET. Have you ever wanted your phone to last for days in the wild and light your campfire, too? At the Showstoppers press event ahead of MWC 2026, I saw a new smartphone from outdoor electronics company Oukitel that aims to be an all-in-one device for the rugged digital nomad.. The Oukitel WP63 phone is around $500 and checks a lot of boxes. It’s got a 20,000-mAh battery — yes, twenty thousand milliamp hours — with an included USB-C port that can charge your other devices. It also powers the audio speaker and LED lamp embedded in the back of the phone, the latter of which can get so bright that a pop-up warns you not to look directly at it to avoid eye damage.. The top of the phone has a piece that can create a flame. David Lumb/CNET. The Oukitel WP63’s coolest feature is its ability to start a fire. You can activate that feature with a tab at the top of the phone that’s surprisingly tricky to flip out. (That’s a nice protective element that keeps it from accidentally popping open in your pocket.) Once deployed, an electric coil, similar to an old car dashboard cigarette lighter, activates via an app. There’s a setting to keep it lit for 4 to 10 minutes, in theory, to warm your surroundings.. I want to be honest that I didn’t see the phone light anything on fire — the preproduction unit at Showstoppers got too hot to demonstrate the lighter effect. But I saw videos of it working earlier in the night.. And yes, the phone is an actual smartphone, too. It runs Android 16 out of the box, with three years of promised software and security updates. It has a 6.7-inch Full HD (1,604×720-pixel) display, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and a 64-megapixel rear camera, so it functioned like a regular smartphone as far as I could tell when I handled it. But if you want to buy one when it starts going on sale in April, prepare your pockets: the WP63 is a massive 27mm thick. That’s almost equivalent to four of the new Samsung Galaxy S26 phones (7.2mm) stacked on top of each other.  

Continue Reading

Tech

Prime Video: 24 Sci-Fi TV Shows You Absolutely Need to Stream Right Now

​Prime Video has steadily built a formidable roster of sci-fi TV shows. Considering the amount of time I’ve put into compiling similar science fiction guides for streamers like Netflix and Apple TV, I like to think I know what I’m talking about. Compared to the two heavy-hitters I just referenced, Prime Video holds its own in the genre space; these sci-fi TV shows hit different.. What do I mean by that? Comparing the three streamers, it’s clear that Prime Video’s genre offerings lean into an indie-film aesthetic. Many of the titles you’ll find below go against the grain. They feature offbeat, edgy narratives, making these shows impactful on many levels.. You want something bleak and dystopian? Prime Video has it. If you want something with lesser stakes and a lighter tone, you can find those types of shows here, too. Below are the best sci-fi shows on Prime Video right now. Please check back each month, as I’ll be updating this article regularly.. Read more: Prime Video: The 30 Absolute Best Shows to Watch. Stream sci-fi on Prime Video  

Continue Reading

Tech

Daylight Saving Time Has an Unexpected Benefit for Home Safety

​Amid springing forward woes like sleep disruption, there’s one spot of good news for the early-year daylight saving time. Jumping ahead an hour means the evenings are brighter, and that has a direct impact on break-ins. After spring DST, the number of burglaries start to fall, especially in more moderate climates, giving your home security tech a break.. At first, this may seem puzzling. As our conversations with criminologists have shown, many burglars prefer to strike homes in the middle of the day, when they’re more confident the house will be empty. But plenty of burglars still like to wait for the cover of darkness, and research has shown DST has a significant impact on their behavior.. Studies such as this research from Jennifer Doleac and Nicholas Sanders (PDF) have shown (even with other factors accounted for) the extra hour of daylight leads to a decrease in crimes such as robberies, which fall by as much as 27% during the sunset hours to save around $246 million in social crime costs each year. That also applies to reported crimes such as murder and rape, which fall significantly as the evening brightens — murder reports by as much 48% and rape by 56%.. While researchers noted that “Individuals discover a burglary upon returning home, or a stolen car on the following morning, but have no idea what time during the day the burglary occurred,” the trend appears to apply to all spur-of-the-moment crimes — which most break-ins fall under.. The reverse is even more noticeable for home crime. When home security company Vivint compared crime rates, it found that home burglaries and related crimes jumped 16% when daylight savings time ended in the fall.. Blink offers a cheap option for a smart floodlight cam. Blink. So while moving our clocks backward and forward can be a pain, keep in mind that March’s DST shift is helping to keep you and your home safer. There are also signs that bright streetlights can have a similar effect, helping to cut down on all kinds of theft. It turns out people prefer the dark when they get in a stealing mood and a brighter atmosphere makes them less likely to act out.. While more active daylight hours tend to reduce property crimes, the temperature can have an opposing effect. Unseasonably warm winters and hot summers tend to increase certain types of crimes like burglaries. Much of the increase is due to more opportunities: People leave their windows and garages open more often, they go on vacation more frequently and they move around more. In northern states, the lack of snow and ice also makes property crimes easier. So be careful when you’re making your warm-weather plans and use my guide on prepping your home for vacation.. To add a bit more light around your own home, you should stop by our picks for the best security cameras with floodlights for a similar effect. Look up our list of tips to deter burglars to learn even more.  

Continue Reading

Latest News

Politics44 minutes ago

When will Noida International Airport open? What we know after key DGCA license granted

 The upcoming Noida international airport might be set to begin operations within the next two months, after the Directorate General...

Politics2 hours ago

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Vehicles set on fire, streets choked with protests amid tensions

 Live. By. Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE updates: To prevent tensions in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar amid ongoing protests, security has...

Politics2 hours ago

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Vehicles set on fire, streets choked with protests amid tensions

 Live. By. Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE updates: To prevent tensions in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar amid ongoing protests, security has...

Politics2 hours ago

Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE: Vehicles set on fire, streets choked with protests amid tensions

 Live. By. Delhi Uttam Nagar clashes LIVE updates: To prevent tensions in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar amid ongoing protests, security has...

Politics2 hours ago

MP man, out of jail, kills teen; locals see him ‘eating victim’s brain’, ‘drinking blood’

 A 46-year-old man, who was released from jail a few weeks ago in a case related to the murder of...

Politics4 hours ago

Veteran journalist Narayan Bareth passes away after cardiac arrest in Jaipur

 Veteran journalist Narayan Bareth passed away here after suffering a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for pneumonia, a family member...

Politics4 hours ago

Veteran journalist Narayan Bareth passes away after cardiac arrest in Jaipur

 Veteran journalist Narayan Bareth passed away here after suffering a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for pneumonia, a family member...

Politics5 hours ago

Kerala: Five held for smuggling high-end used cars from Bhutan; DTO among accused

 Kochi, The Customs Commissionerate has arrested five persons from West Bengal and Assam in connection with the smuggling of high-end...

Politics6 hours ago

Ex-Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accuses BJP of insulting martyrs over ‘Phansi Ghar’ controversy

 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal appeared before the Delhi assembly’s privileges committee on...

Politics7 hours ago

Will expose BJP-poll panel conspiracy disenfranchise Bengali voters: Mamata Banerjee

 West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she would “expose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – Election...

Trending News

Join Our Newsletter

Stay updated with breaking news and exclusive content.