India, Oct. 13 -- Global smartphone shipments fell 20% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching their lowest level for the period in 14 years as a shortage of memory chips pushed up manufacturing costs and constrained device supply. The decline highlights how the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is affecting the wider electronics supply chain, including devices that underpin mobile connectivity.

According to preliminary estimates from Counterpoint Research, published on 12 October, the global market recorded its weakest third-quarter shipment performance since 2012. Rising prices for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash storage have increased the cost of manufacturing smartphones, fo...