How AI requirements are driving up the cost of budget smartphones

Summary

The article argues that the era of cheap smartphones is ending due to the demands of AI processing. It explains that AI features require significantly more RAM, storage, and processing power than traditional computing, driving up the cost of even entry-level devices. The piece traces the history of computing costs, the global memory crunch, and how the smartphone industry is undergoing a "great repricing" as AI becomes a standard feature, making affordable devices increasingly difficult to produce.