Memory Costs Show Up in the Phone Mix
Units fell while average selling price rose, and the premium tier absorbed the difference.
Store checks reported on 10 November 2026 in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen found new handset starting prices broadly raised, with merchants citing increases of 400 to 1,500 yuan. One Shanghai chain reported third-quarter unit sales down about 10% year on year while average selling price rose about 20%, with the share of phones above 6,000 yuan climbing from roughly two in ten to more than three in ten. IDC figures for the same quarter show global share above $600 up 7.1 percentage points and below $200 down 13.9. For marketers the consequence is structural: the entry-level traffic pool is shrinking while premium conversion carries more value.