Ashhar Alam/New Delhi

As smartphone users demand more power for AI and heavy apps, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of bigger storage. Despite climbing memory prices, brands are planning to ship devices with higher base capacities, overturning earlier expectations of downsizing to protect margins.

Analysts at Trendforce project an average 4.8 percent year-on-year growth in smartphone storage, driven largely by on-device AI features that require 40GB to 60GB just for local processing. This shift is influencing both flagship and mainstream devices, pushing manufacturers to prioritize larger storage configurations.

Flagship models from Apple, Samsung, and Huawei are already embracing this trend. Apple is moving to a 256GB base iPhone model, while Huawei’s Mate 80 lineup highlights 512GB variants. Mid-range and budget smartphones will continue offering higher-capacity options as optional upgrades, with 128GB models gradually becoming rare by the end of 2026.

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Industry insiders note that low-capacity NAND memory is being phased out due to technological upgrades, leaving manufacturers little choice but to adopt higher storage standards. For consumers, this means more room for AI-driven apps, local data processing, and multimedia content without worrying about running out of space.

With storage becoming a key selling point, 2026 could mark a turning point where 256GB becomes the new baseline for smartphones, redefining expectations across price segments.