The teardrop notch design debuted in late 2017 as Android smartphone makers attempted to differentiate themselves from Apple’s iPhone range while also offering a way to provide users with an increased ‘screen to body ratio.’ Eventually, this approach was abandoned in favor of a punch-hole cutout, with even 90Hz displays getting replaced by 120Hz panels. However, a new rumor claims that both of these specifications and other changes, such as a less premium chassis, are expected to arrive to future devices because manufacturers cannot cope with the unbearable memory and storage costs.
Smartphone memory specifications could also be limited to 8GB, but at least there’s going to be microSD card expansion
The DRAM shortage is forcing a myriad of companies to explore a ton of ways in which the rising costs can be offset by compromising on the smartphone’s specifications. Previously, Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station mentioned that the pairing of LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage would already exceed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro’s price, so it’s unsurprising to hear that manufacturers are making compromises beforehand, starting with restoring the teardrop notch design and 90Hz displays.
Assuming that readers forgot, before 120Hz panels became mainstream, we had 90Hz screens that arrived on mobile devices first, allowing users to experience faster and buttery-smooth scrolling without putting too much strain on the battery life. Best of all, these were much cheaper to mass produce than 120Hz ones, but the DRAM shortage has other plans if the older technology is making a comeback.
Next up, we have microSD card expansion, which we reported about back in December, with another Weibo tipster with the handle Repeater 002 commenting that manufacturers would introduce a tray that could accommodate both physical SIM cards and storage expansion cards. Additionally, the RAM configurations could drop to 8GB, with entry-level smartphones shipping with 4GB of memory to combat rising component costs.
If there’s any silver lining in all of this, it’s that developers would now be forced to optimize applications on devices shipping with limited memory. Also, don’t be surprised to witness future handsets sporting polycarbonate or plastic cases instead of the more durable and premium aluminum ones, because that’s another cost-cutting measure that companies are exploring to help offset rising DRAM and storage costs.
In short, it doesn’t appear to be a pretty sight at all, so customers will have to get really comfortable with the fact that they will be potentially paying more for smartphones touting older designs and subpar specifications.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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