Smartphone price hike is not worrying OPPO

If you’ve been thinking of upgrading your phone, chances are you’ve also heard the chatter: prices may go up again. Behind the scenes, the global tech industry is dealing with a serious memory chip shortage. And this time, it isn’t a short-term hiccup.The world is facing an unprecedented crunch in DRAM and storage chips, driven by the explosive growth of AI data centres. Simply put, the same memory that powers your smartphone is now being pulled in massive volumes by AI servers, leaving less supply for consumer devices and pushing prices up. Market intelligence firm IDC warns that this imbalance could last well into 2027.So yes, smartphones could get more expensive. But OPPO isn’t panicking, and it believes consumers don’t have to either.“If you’re giving consumers enough innovation and staying relevant to them, it doesn’t really become a challenge,” Goldee Patnaik, Head of Brand Communications at OPPO India, told ET Online on the sidelines of the Reno15 series launch. “People today are not switching to cheaper phones impulsively. If they see value and ease of use, they’re willing to spend.”According to IDC, rising costs are likely to stretch upgrade cycles further, especially in price-sensitive markets like India. That tracks closely with what OPPO is seeing on the ground.“People do not want to spend money on a device and then replace it the very next year,” Patnaik says. “They want to research well and get it right the first time by meeting their needs properly.”In practical terms, this means buyers are paying closer attention to everyday details — how good the camera actually is, how the phone feels in hand, how long the battery lasts, and whether the software will age well. Flashy specs matter less if they don’t translate into daily use. And in 2026, the same goes for AI in smartphones as well.According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, GenAI smartphones jumped from just 3% of total shipments in early 2024 to 13% in the first half of 2025, signalling how quickly AI has gone from novelty to norm.OPPO’s response has been to keep AI grounded in everyday use.In its latest launch, the Reno15 series, OPPO has introduced AI Editor 3.0 alongside features such as AI Portrait Glow, AI Recompose, AI Perfect Shot, AI Eraser, AI Reflection Remover, and a new Pop-out feature for social-first photography.“AI should make you smarter, not confuse you,” Patnaik says. “Whether it’s editing photos, taking better portraits or helping with content creation, it has to feel natural.”Instead of chasing raw processing power, OPPO is leaning into AI for imaging, creativity and productivity.Also Read: OPPO Reno15 Series launched in India: Price, specifications, features and availabilityWhy smaller cities matter more than everAs phones get pricier, how and where people buy them matters just as much as what they buy. IDC expects longer replacement cycles in markets facing rising costs, making trust, service and offline support increasingly important.That’s where OPPO sees its biggest opportunity, beyond India’s metros.“The real action is happening in Tier-2, Tier-3 and smaller cities,” Patnaik says. “Any brand with a strong offline presence, good accessibility and strong value will always have an upper hand. Making OPPO accessible across these cities is extremely important for us."With over 570 service centres across the country, OPPO is betting that strong offline presence — along with clear retail guidance — will matter more than aggressive discounts in the years ahead.“People may research online, but many still buy offline,” Patnaik says. "You have to be emotionally relevant, not just transactional. The way you connect with consumers in these markets has to speak their language and reflect their needs.”Compact phones make a comebackThat shift in consumer behaviour is also behind OPPO’s decision to introduce a "Mini" version of its Reno15 Pro — a move that feels almost counter-trend in an era of ever-bigger screens. Giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google have always held their ground with a compact phone in their lineup and now the trend is slowly trickling down to consumers in all segments with devices like the OnePlus 13s, vivo X300 and now the Reno15 Pro Mini with the same power features as their bigger counterparts.“Compact phones are liked by many people because they’re easy to grip and use,” Patnaik says. “But compact shouldn’t mean compromised.” The idea, OPPO says, is to offer choice without forcing trade-offs.IDC, in fact, notes that the long-running trend of bringing flagship features to affordable phones is beginning to reverse as memory prices rise. OPPO’s counter has been to focus on features people actually notice, rather than inflating spec sheets.