Overview
- TrendForce now projects average smartphone storage to rise about 4.8% in 2026 despite higher NAND prices and limited supply.
- The firm points to on-device AI models that need roughly 40 to 60 GB of local cache as a key driver for larger storage.
- Manufacturers are discontinuing low-capacity models as NAND makers move to newer processes that reduce low-density parts.
- Apple lifted the iPhone 17 base to 256 GB, and TrendForce expects average iPhone storage to grow faster than Android this year.
- Gadgets 360 reports 256 GB is becoming the flagship baseline, with 128 GB likely to fade from mainstream Android by late 2026.