Global smartphone shipments fell 22% year on year to 255.3 million units in the third quarter, the largest drop IDC has recorded for any quarter. IDC analysts say memory costs have risen about 350% since last year and the market has not reached bottom.
Perspective Coverage
5 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 18%
- Operator
- Operator 35%
- Investor
- Investor 47%
Reality
- Evidence58
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives35
- Confidence62
Samsung has reportedly asked suppliers to cut Q4 phone production by 20% to 30%, taking 2026 output from a planned 270 million toward 200 million. Memory prices have climbed far enough that some Galaxy models barely make money, and Samsung would sooner build fewer of them.
Perspective Coverage
7 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 10%
- Operator
- Operator 46%
- Investor
- Investor 44%
Reality
- Evidence40
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives50
- Confidence45
Apple has priced the iPhone 18 Pro from £1,199, £100 above last year's models, a rise the Guardian blames on memory costs. Its faster chip and longer battery are real gains, but they make a thin case for retiring year-old company phones early.
Reality
- Evidence62
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+5
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence58
Apple CEO John Ternus is weighing year-round launches as the hardware unit removes roughly six directors and other program managers, Bloomberg reported. Staff expect the calendar change to take years, so the cost cuts should show up in Apple's numbers first.
Perspective Coverage
5 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 23%
- Operator
- Operator 33%
- Investor
- Investor 44%
Reality
- Evidence45
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+25
- Incentives55
- Confidence50
Memory costs push Apple's cheapest M-series desktop to £899
Apple's M6 Mac mini starts at £899, up from £599 for the M4 model, a rise the Guardian's reviewer blames on memory costs. Hardware refresh budgets drawn up on last year's list price for that machine are now out of date.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence50
The second-generation tablet moves to Qualcomm's six-core Snapdragon X2 Plus with a cellular option and a brighter screen, and it now starts at $1,150. The keyboard and Slim Pen are still sold separately.
Perspective Coverage
14 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 27%
- Operator
- Operator 48%
- Investor
- Investor 25%
Reality
- Evidence60
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives40
- Confidence62
Valve's new headset starts at $1,059 for 256GB and ships without a charger. The first batch is rationed by a randomised draw that only Steam accounts with a previous purchase can enter.
Perspective Coverage
13 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 23%
- Operator
- Operator 60%
- Investor
- Investor 17%
Reality
- Evidence85
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives45
- Confidence78
Morgan Stanley sizes Apple's foldable at 16% of next quarter's iPhone revenue
Apple unveils the foldable iPhone on Wednesday under a US$570 billion summer rally and a chief executive who started on Sept. 1. Morgan Stanley's own numbers leave most of the quarter's iPhone revenue with the ordinary models.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+28
- Incentives70
- Confidence52