Phone Makers Turn to Reballed Memory Chips
Budget smartphone makers are adopting recycled DRAM chips as memory prices keep climbing.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Semiconductors
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Smartphone makers are increasingly using refurbished reballed DRAM memory chips, recovered from older devices and refitted with new solder balls, to control production costs. The shift comes as DRAM prices are expected to rise further in the first quarter of 2027.
Why it matters
Rising memory prices squeeze the margins of low-cost phones, pushing manufacturers toward cheaper recycled components. If adoption spreads beyond budget models, the change could affect the specifications buyers see across more price tiers.
Most current reballed supply is 4 GB LPDDR4X modules, used mainly in 4G smartphones priced below $200, and TrendForce estimates they made up 3-4% of the smartphone market in 2026. TrendForce projects that share will reach 7-9% in 2027, though it expects reballed memory to remain a small portion of total LPDRAM bit consumption.
The details
Reballed memory is recycled DRAM recovered from older devices and reprocessed with new solder balls for reuse. Manufacturers use it to reduce component costs in budget devices, though sourcing refurbished chips is more complicated and their quality can be less consistent.
Timeline
2026: Reballed memory expected to reach 3-4% of the smartphone market.
First quarter of 2027: DRAM price increases expected to accelerate further.
2027: Reballed memory expected to reach 7-9% of the smartphone market.
The Tech Race
TrendForce's projection that reballed memory will grow from 3-4% to 7-9% of the smartphone market in 2027 marks a departure from new-chip supply for budget devices. Its forecast that use could extend into higher price segments suggests the cost pressure reshaping low-end phones may reach the broader handset market.
Buyers of phones priced below $200 may see manufacturers use recycled memory chips in their devices. Projected DRAM price increases in the first quarter of 2027 could affect the cost and specifications of budget smartphones.
The takeaway
Memory price swings can reshape phone specifications at the budget end first, so buyers comparing low-cost models may find memory capacity and component origin vary more than before. Watching DRAM price trends into 2027 offers a useful signal for future phone pricing.
Further reading
Explore more Semiconductors coverage for context on the memory chip market.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Notebookcheck.
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