India, March 18 -- For years, smartphone pricing followed a predictable curve and cycles. New flamboyant and flashy devices were launched at unusually high prices, which softened over months, and hit the lowest points during the regular festive sales at some point. This trend and pattern are under pressure. The acceptable and normal downward price equation is now driven by a component that rarely features in conversations but sits at the heart of every device, memory. A sharp rise in global prices of memory has rippled through the smartphone market, and its effects are being felt during flagship launches, and festive sales.

"Seeing the current market scenario and memory price projections. there is a high probability that prices will beco...