Smartphone sales in Mexico saw a 9% year-on-year decline during January and February 2026. This downturn follows a period of stability in 2025, when the domestic market moved 35 million units, marking a 7% growth, according to data from The Competitive Intelligence Unit (The CIU).
The entry-level segment, which accounts for 64% of total sales in the country, is the hardest hit by this downward trend. These devices, typically priced between 4,200 and 4,500 pesos, rely on a cost structure that has become increasingly unstable.
Rising memory costs driving up prices
The rising cost of key components, specifically memory, is directly impacting final device prices. According to Counterpoint Research, the surging demand for memory to power artificial intelligence has created upward pressure on the global market.
Projections from Counterpoint Research indicate that memory costs could skyrocket by as much as 130% during 2026. Furthermore, an additional increase of approximately 15% is expected in the second quarter of the year, making it difficult to maintain the supply of affordable devices.
In the Mexican market, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration remains the most sought-after, accounting for 37% of sales in 2025. However, the difficulty of maintaining these hardware standards at low prices is forcing consumers to delay their tech upgrades.