Home Phones News Phones are getting expensive, but expandable storage might be the new savior. Silvie Lindemann / Pexels The ongoing memory shortage is starting to hit smartphone makers, and consumers are seeing the impact with rising pricing and specs. New reports suggest that the cost of high-end RAM and storage configurations has surpassed even flagship chips, bringing a major shift in how smartphones are built . This is a big deal since the processor was usually the most expensive component. But now, it looks like memory is taking that premium spot. What’s the issue? SANDISK / SANDISK The problem is simple. Growing demand for AI has caused memory prices to see a sharp rise. High-speed storage and RAM chips are being taken up by AI data centres and services. This causes flagship configurations like 16GB RAM + 1TB storage to become increasingly more expensive. Even mid-range models are sticking to 8GB RAM, as brands are having to either cut down on specs or raise prices to maintain margins.…