TL;DR
- Soaring memory and RAM prices are pushing mid-range phone prices upward, narrowing the price gap with flagship devices.
- Counterpoint Research reports that premium smartphones ($600+ wholesale) grabbed a record 29% of global sales in H1 2026.
- OEMs are aggressively offering trade-in deals, financing, and buybacks to help buyers jump to top-tier phones.
The best Android phones keep creeping up in price, but this pricing squeeze is creating an unexpected silver lining for consumers: flagship smartphones are starting to look like surprisingly great deals.
According to the latest H1 2026 data from Counterpoint Research, premium smartphones (wholesale prices of $600 and above) grabbed a record 29% share of total global sales — up from 25% in H1 2025. Unit sales in the segment also grew 5% year over year.
