Africans planning to buy a new smartphone this year may have to spend more as rising AI demand makes the cheap devices that helped millions get online more expensive to produce.
Africa’s smartphone market is heading for its first annual slowdown in three years as rising device prices squeeze consumers, with global technology market research firm Omdia forecasting a 26% decline in shipments in 2026.
The research firm said on Thursday that smartphone shipments across the continent fell 7% year-on-year to 17.8 million units in the second quarter of 2026.
The decline was particularly pronounced at the lower end of the market, which is crucial to expanding connectivity across the continent. Shipments of smartphones priced below $100 fell 34% year-on-year, representing a decline of nearly three million devices.
Originally published by TechCabal.