Chinese phone brands focus on AI despite memory supply crunch

Chinese smartphone makers are set to showcase AI features and experimental devices at MWC Barcelona (March 2–5) as the industry faces a global memory chip shortage.

Honor, a Shenzhen-based smartphone maker and an independent brand formerly under Huawei Technologies, will detail a “robot phone,” unveil a humanoid robot, and launch the Magic V6 foldable with a stronger hinge and upgraded AI functions.

Vivo plans the global debut of its flagship X300 Ultra, with a focus on enhanced imaging and videography.

Huawei released the international Mate 80 Pro, while Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series with a sharpened focus on AI capabilities.

IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments will drop 12.9% to 1.12 billion units in 2026, and Francisco Jeronimo, IDC vice-president, called the memory supply chain issue a “tsunami-like shock” for the industry.

Meizu, owned by DreamSmart Group, said it will halt research and development on new handsets after cancelling the Meizu 22 Air, citing a sharp rise in memory prices, the firm’s CMO, Wan Zhiqiang, said.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

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Honor’s ‘robot phone’ is less science fiction and more a bet on physical AI

Honor, a Shenzhen-based smartphone maker and an independent brand formerly under Huawei Technologies, will unveil a “robot phone” at MWC Barcelona (March 2–5). It is a smartphone with a miniature four-degree-of-freedom (4DoF) gimbal system, driven by what Honor calls the industry’s smallest micro motor 1, 2.
The design gives AI a physical way to act, so the phone can nod or move to music. Honor calls this an “embodied AI experience” 1.
For photos and video, the setup blends three-axis mechanical stabilization with an AI engine that tracks subjects and predicts motion 1.
Honor is also working with professional camera maker ARRI to bring cinematic image science into an upcoming HONOR device. GadgetMatch called it a first time that core elements of ARRI Image Science will be integrated directly into a consumer device 3.

The memory crisis is wiping out budget smartphones and reshaping the industry

A global memory chip shortage is forcing a “structural reset” in smartphones. Low-end Android phone vendors face the most pressure 4, 5.
Memory can make up 15–20% of a mid-range phone’s bill of materials. Price spikes are squeezing already thin margins for budget makers 6.
The shift is making the ultra-low-end tier hard to sustain. IDC analyst Nabila Popal said the sub-$100 category, about 171 million devices, could become “permanently uneconomical” 7.
Emerging markets that depend on these phones may take a hit. Shipments in the Middle East and Africa are forecast to fall 20.6% year-on-year 4.
As smaller brands leave the market, Apple and Samsung may hold up better and gain share, based on IDC commentary cited in reporting 7.