Emir BardakçıIf you were thinking of getting a giant 1TB smartphone this year, you might want to rethink your budget or expectations. A new leak from reputable leaker Digital Chat Station reveals that the days of affordable, high-capacity flagship smartphones are about to hit a major snag due to exorbitant costs.
Apparently, due to rising storage costs, manufacturers are having to make some tough decisions, and these decisions are impacting popular models like those in the $350 (around 2,500 CNY) mid-range segment as well as flagship models like the Snapdragon 8 Elite . It seems the «Golden Age» of affordable storage is over, and manufacturers are now working quietly to ensure their profit margins remain intact.
TL;DR
- 1TB models canceled: Manufacturers are canceling orders for 1TB chips, and some unreleased 1TB smartphone variants have been completely withdrawn from production.
- Price increases: The «first launch» discounts on Snapdragon 8 Elite models are being phased out, and now prices are quietly rising.
- The new standard: 512 GB is becoming the standard order volume, although the price difference between the 256 GB and 512 GB models has increased to about $55-70 (400-500 CNY).
- Mid-range bottleneck: The most affected are the budget flagships, where storage expansions have become considerably more expensive.
The «silent» price correction
We’ve observed an alarming trend with the latest wave of flagship devices featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite . Traditionally, manufacturers try to boost initial sales with aggressive «first-sale» discount strategies. However, Digital Chat Station points out that this is reversing sooner than expected. The prices of these new flagship devices are now rising to their higher standard prices. If you missed the initial sale of the latest flagship devices, such as the China-exclusive Redmi K90 Pro Max , which is launching globally as the POCO F8 Ultra , you’ll now have to pay a premium for the same device just a few weeks later.
Why are 1TB phones disappearing?
The most alarming news is the disappearance of 1TB storage . Looking ahead to 2024, having 1TB as an option seemed like the new normal. However, the latest leak indicates that shipments of 1TB variants are extremely low. Manufacturers have begun reducing orders for the 1TB variants currently on the market. Even worse, some unreleased variants that were expected to include the 1TB option have now had their orders canceled. It seems the industry is betting that users will choose the 512GB variant , which is currently the dominant one. However, this comes at a price: the price difference between the 256GB and 512GB variants is now $55 to $70 .
What will happen next?
If you find a good deal on a 512GB or 1TB phone right now , grab it. We believe the data shows that prices are heading in one direction: upward. We predict that the POCO and Xiaomi series launches later this year will reflect the limited storage options, likely promoting cloud storage as the solution.
