Future TechnologyNothing Cancels Its Next Budget Phone as RAM Prices Spiral
Key takeaways
- Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis confirmed the CMF Phone follow-up is cancelled for 2026
- Rising RAM prices, driven partly by AI server demand consuming DRAM supply, are cited as the cause
- The CMF Phone 2 Pro was the previous model the cancelled device would have succeeded
- Budget Android devices across the market face pressure from the same memory cost increases
Nothing has cancelled the follow-up to its CMF Phone 2 Pro for this year, with co-founder Akis Evangelidis citing soaring RAM prices as the reason. The decision makes Nothing one of the more visible casualties of what's being called 'RAMageddon', a sharp spike in memory chip prices that has been rippling through the smartphone market in 2026.
RAM prices have climbed significantly this year due to a combination of increased AI server demand eating into DRAM supply and tighter production from the major memory manufacturers. For a budget phone brand like CMF, whose entire value proposition is delivering competitive specs at a low price, absorbing a sharp cost increase in one of the most important components is essentially impossible without either raising prices or killing the product.
Nothing's transparency here is actually refreshing. Most manufacturers would quietly delay a product with vague 'supply chain' language. Evangelidis posted directly on X explaining exactly what happened and why, which is the kind of straightforwardness consumers rarely get.
The broader implication is uncomfortable for anyone expecting affordable Android options this year. If a brand as scrappy and cost-focused as Nothing can't make the numbers work, it signals that budget flagship phones across the board may either get more expensive or see spec downgrades in the near term. The memory market typically self-corrects, but not on a timeline that helps anyone shopping today.