What makes our smartphones feel fast? There are several contributing factors, like the clock speed of its CPUs, screen refresh rate, UI animations, and of course, RAM. Now, for 2026, we expect to start seeing Android phones use LPDDR6 RAM. However, the latest reports claim that it will only be limited to flagships .
LPDDR6 RAM could be limited to Android flagships
According to the latest rumors, we can expect to see more Android phones take advantage of LPDDR6 RAM this year . That’s great news, but there’s a downside: this trend will likely be limited to flagships. There could be several reasons for this.
For starters, having faster memory is a great way of differentiating flagships from budget and mid-range devices. Given that chipset technology has advanced to the point where many midrange chipsets are more than holding their own, faster memory is a good way to distinguish a flagship from a non-flagship.
Secondly, there could be cost-related issues too. As you might have heard, memory prices are soaring. This is because memory makers are starting to move towards HBM catered towards AI data centers. So, there’s less room on the production line for consumer-facing devices, resulting in lower supply. Based on the law of economics, low supply and high demand equal higher prices.
In fact, some analysts believe that the soaring prices could kill the 16GB RAM phone segment . Also, this report seems to line up with an earlier report that suggests LPDDR6 RAM could only make its way onto flagship chipsets from Qualcomm and MediaTek.
What’s the difference between LPDDR5 and LPDDR6?
Obviously, memory is important hardware in our phones. The amount of RAM allows the chipset to juggle more tasks at once. It also ensures that apps have fewer reloads, meaning that you can switch back and forth between them without having to wait for them to relaunch. This is ideal for multitasking, especially if you’re looking for a computer-like experience.
But the question is, what’s the difference between LPDDR5 and LPDDR6 RAM? Well, higher data rates is one. To put it simple, the latest LPDDR6 improves the overall memory bandwidth and efficiency. This will help with heavier workloads and multitasking. LPDDR6 memory is also designed to be more energy efficient, which allows your phone to last longer than before.
Overall, there are some gains to be had between both types of memory. However, LPDDR5 is still extremely viable, so unless you need the improved bandwidth and energy efficiency, non-flagships with LPDDR5 RAM are still an excellent choice.
