Isn’t Apple’s iPhone the most expensive? The global average price of mobile phones has increased by 27%. This brand is the most amazing

Cell phones have become really expensive! The latest report from Counterpoint Research pointed out that due to rising memory costs and the trend of high-end mobile phones, the average selling price of global smartphones increased by 27% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching US$442 (approximately NT$14,000), setting a historical single-quarter high. The average selling prices of the world's top five mobile phone brands have increased across the board. However, this wave of price increases may not be over yet, and mobile phone prices may continue to rise in 2027.

Five major mobile phone brands have increased prices across the board, with Xiaomi seeing the most astonishing increase

Data pointed out that global smartphone shipments fell by 19% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026. However, driven by rising mobile phone prices, overall market revenue bucked the trend and grew by 3%, reaching US$114 billion.

Judging from the average selling price of various brands, Apple is still the most expensive, reaching US$1,031 (approximately NT$34,000) in the third quarter, an increase of 19% from US$870 in the same period last year. It is not only more than twice the global average, but also a new brand high. Samsung’s sales rose from US$304 to US$367 (approximately NT$12,000), an annual increase of 21%.

However, when comparing the growth rate, Xiaomi is the most astonishing. The average selling price increased from US$148 last year to US$210 (approximately NT$7,000), an annual increase of approximately 42%. It is the company with the highest growth rate among the top five brands in the world. OPPO has also increased its price from US$221 to US$267 (approximately NT$8,800), while vivo has increased its price from US$220 to US$258 (approximately NT$8,500), showing that mobile phones becoming more expensive is no longer just a phenomenon for high-end flagship phones.

According to Counterpoint analysis, the average selling price of mobile phones continues to rise, mainly driven by two major factors. First, the rising cost of components such as memory, forcing brands to raise prices; second, the mobile phone market is gradually becoming more high-end, and various manufacturers have shifted their product focus to higher-priced models, which has further increased the average selling price.

The wave of mobile phone price increases is not over yet. It may be even harder to wait for price reductions.

The more mobile phones are sold, the more expensive they are, which does not mean that the brand really makes more money. Counterpoint pointed out that memory costs continue to rise, which is squeezing the profits of various mobile phone brands. Many manufacturers can only respond by increasing prices, streamlining product lines, and concentrating resources on launching main models. Entry-level mobile phones with thin profits are especially affected. If you want to buy cheap mobile phones in the future, you may have fewer and fewer choices.

In addition, the global mobile phone market revenue may turn into recession in the fourth quarter of 2026, memory costs will remain high in 2027, mobile phone prices may continue to rise, and global shipments may also decline further.

As for the timing of price cuts that consumers are most concerned about, the report predicts that cost pressure will not be relieved until 2028 at the earliest. However, even if component costs fall, mobile phone brands may not directly cut prices. Instead, they may invest the saved costs in upgrading product specifications.