Xiaomi seems to copy Apple in another strategy. Fans are not exactly thrilled about it

For years, we were used to a simple ritual. The manufacturer calls one press conference, shows three phones of one series, and the customer chooses according to their wallet. This year, this model is falling apart – and it’s not a whim of two companies, but a consequence of what has been happening with component prices over the last twelve months.

Flagship in two parts

According to a July leak, Xiaomi will only introduce Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in September. Both are expected to run on the fresh Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. The basic Xiaomi 18 will wait until the end of 2026, or even early 2027 – and might not even get the same chip, as the new 2nm silicon is reportedly too expensive.

Apple plays the same game

Anyone who thinks this is a Chinese specialty should look to Cupertino. Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable phone this autumn. The basic iPhone 18, model 18e, and the second-generation iPhone Air are expected to arrive in spring 2027.

This coincidence is not a random act of two marketing departments. Both manufacturers purchase memory from the same trio of suppliers, and both feel the same pressure.

Memory is to blame for everything

The numbers speak for themselves. According to Counterpoint analysts, mobile DRAM memory prices have risen by approximately 70% since the beginning of 2025, and NAND storage has almost doubled. Gartner estimates that memory and SSD prices will climb by a total of 130% by the end of this year and will translate into a 13% price increase for phones compared to 2025. Smartphone shipments are expected to fall by 8.4 percent this year, according to the same analysis – the steepest decline in over a decade.

The reason is prosaic. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have shifted most of their capacities to HBM memory for AI data centers, where margins are incomparably higher. Only a fraction of production remains for phones. Memory today accounts for more than a fifth of the manufacturing cost of a typical phone, whereas previously it was ten to fifteen percent.

Splitting the product line is a logical reaction to this. Expensive models will sell even at a higher price, because their buyers won’t quibble over a few thousand. A cheaper phone with the same price increase sells much worse, so the manufacturer prefers to postpone it – perhaps until memory becomes somewhat cheaper. However, analysts place the turning point no earlier than the end of 2027, so a rapid price reduction cannot be relied upon.

These are currently leaks that neither Xiaomi nor Qualcomm have confirmed. However, the market confirms the trend itself: smartphones are getting more expensive this year, and manufacturers are addressing this by pushing cheaper models further away from their premiere.

Would you wait months for a cheaper model, or would you rather pay extra for the Pro version right away?

Sources: Notebookcheck, Gartner, Tom’s Hardware, TrendForce