This is MacOS Ken.

Counterpoint adjust smartphone expectations.

Your music favorites become essentials.

And Apple Watch challenges both active and less so.

It is Wednesday, the 17th of December, 2025.

I'm Ken Ray, and this is news from MacOS Ken.

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Bad news for smartphones that will not be that bad for iPhone, according to counterpoint

research.

The firm issued a press release Tuesday, lowering its smartphone outlook for

2026, this is the cost of building the things goes up. Oh, don't misunderstand.

Counterpoint does expect iPhone shipments to drop next year. That might be expected even if the

bill of materials didn't rise. Strength like iPhone 17 is

seeing in the year's end seems likely to set up a tough compare for a year from now. But that's a

year from now. What's driving the bill of materials rise right now is a price surge in DRAM.

A piece from Tom's hardware says DRAM prices are continuing to skyrocket thanks to exorbitant demands from the AI industry.

For phone manufacturers, Counterpoint says that's already meant increases in bill of materials

costs for low-end smartphone makers of 25%, 15% for the mid-range makers, and 10% for phones at the high end,

like those made by Apple and, in some cases, Samsung.

Those DRAM increases, not done yet.

...