Memory card slots to return in smartphones amid market crisis

To cut costs, smartphone manufacturers are expected to reduce device memory and reintroduce memory card slots.

This was reported on Weibo by well-known insider Digital Chat Station.

According to the expert, in 2026 smartphone makers worldwide will face rising component prices and a market crisis. Budget and mid-range devices are especially vulnerable to higher memory and component costs. To avoid raising prices, manufacturers plan to compromise on some specifications.

Among mid- and high-end devices, models with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage are likely to become more common, while devices with 12 GB or 16 GB RAM will decrease in number. The return of memory card slots is seen as an inexpensive way to let users expand storage.

Additionally, budget devices will increasingly feature plastic bodies or frames. Many new models will also have rear-mounted fingerprint sensors, whereas currently fingerprint scanners are more often embedded under the front panel or on side buttons.