How AI demand is driving up smartphone prices and ending the era of cheap devices

Summary

The article argues that the era of cheap smartphones is ending due to the AI boom driving up memory and component costs. It traces the history of computing costs from the 1980s to today, explaining how AI's insatiable demand for memory (DRAM, NAND flash) has created a global memory crunch that is repricing consumer electronics. The author contends that AI features are being pushed into budget phones not because they benefit users, but because manufacturers need to justify higher prices driven by component shortages. The piece explores how this shift affects developing markets where cheap smartphones were a primary computing device, and examines the broader economic implications of AI's hardware demands.