Price increases for previously launched models in DTC channels have ranged between $40 and $100. Samsung appears to be unwilling to increase the cost of existing models as much as it has for new launches, while Motorola made similar increases for new and existing models. These increases will have a disproportionate impact on the low-end of the smartphone market, as a $100 price increase on a $200 phone has a much larger impact on a consumer than a $100 increase on a $1000 phone does. Therefore, Motorola and other low-end OEMs will see a larger impact from these changes than premium OEMs like Apple, Samsung and Google will. Apple has yet to increase prices on any of its models and it is not expected to make pricing changes prior to the iPhone 18 launch. In the meantime, the company is likely to trade margin performance for market share gains. Apple is at an advantage over other OEMs in this situation as it has the largest margins to work around and is best positioned to absorb increased memory prices in the short term.

Higher NAND variants have been disproportionately affected by increases, as the data center boom has also increased NAND pricing significantly. For all of the models in which Samsung has increased pricing after launch, it only did so on the higher NAND variants. Motorola has begun to release 2026 models with lower storage capacity than their 2025 counterparts. The minimum storage capacity for the 2025 Moto G Stylus and Motorola Edge was 256GB. This year, both models received 128GB variants, with the Motorola Edge 2026 exclusively having 128GB storage. Counterpoint anticipates that these step-backs in specs will continue in 2026.

While most price increases have occurred in the DTC channels, there have been some increases in MSRPs at the carrier channels as well, as seen in Counterpoint’s US Smartphone Promotions Tracker. The US Market is heavily carrier-driven, so an increase in price in the DTC channels alone will not have a large impact on sales volume. It is when the carriers increase prices or cut back on promotions that a material sales impact will truly be seen.

MSRP Changes at US Carriers (May 2026)

Most increases in carrier channels have been for prepaid-focused devices from Motorola and TCL, which could further weaken prepaid sales as US consumers are already squeezed by price increases for most everyday goods. However, carrier price increases are still relatively limited in scope and often remain offset by new line or trade-in promotions, meaning consumers usually have not yet seen the full effects of these changes so far.

It is possible that some carrier increases are being delayed as they have built up prior inventory of models that have faced increases. We expect carriers to eventually increase pricing after they burn through their model inventories. If the carriers don't do that, it could then be assumed they have begun to subsidize the increase to consumers in order to maintain pricing, which is something they have indicated against doing in Q1 earnings calls.

Counterpoint will continue to monitor smartphone pricing in the US market, as further changes could have a substantial impact on sales. Additional price increases are expected throughout 2026 as available supply for memory continues to be in high demand. Counterpoint Market Outlook projects that North American smartphone shipments will decline 6% YoY in 2026 as OEMs struggle to navigate the challenging environment around memory supply and pricing.

The US Weekly Smartphone Promotions Tracker monitors smartphone pricing and promotion characteristics including discount amount, promotion type, trade-in requirements, customer type, index score, and more. Contact [email protected] to learn more.