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How Fairphone, Framework and Jolla Are Coping With the Memory Shortage
Smaller device makers are trying to secure memory allocation, redesigning hardware for substitute parts and taking earlier purchasing risks; higher prices alone cannot guarantee they can ship. Framework uses modular, replaceable memory and commits to non cancellable orders early; Jolla has alternative motherboard de...
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Key takeaways
- Smaller device makers are trying to secure memory allocation, redesigning hardware for substitute parts and taking earlier purchasing risks; higher prices alone cannot guarantee they can ship.
- Framework uses modular, replaceable memory and commits to non cancellable orders early; Jolla has alternative motherboard designs and batch tests chips; Fairphone has so far not raised retail prices.
- A recent price plateau for one Jolla storage and DRAM package offers limited relief: availability, rather than the quoted chip price, remains the central constraint.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How are smaller independent smartphone and laptop makers such as Fairphone, Jolla, and Framework coping with a global memory shortage expect. Article summary: Smaller makers are coping primarily by securing any allocation they can, redesigning products for component flexibility, and accepting more procurement risk—not by simply paying higher prices. Their approaches differ: Fr. Topic tags: general, news, general web. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers
Independent phone and laptop makers are responding to the memory shortage with procurement workarounds and more flexible hardware designs. For companies such as Fairphone, Framework and Jolla, the key problem is not simply that DRAM and storage cost more. It is whether suppliers allocate chips to them at all. Without allocation, a manufacturer cannot ship a device regardless of the price it is prepared to pay. 1
Allocation has become the real bottleneck
The shortage is bearing especially heavily on smaller companies and the lower end of the device market. Fairphone CEO Raymond van Eck said availability is the binding constraint: a company without allocation is effectively out of the market. 1
That changes how independent manufacturers buy components. Rather than waiting for a stable price and confirmed delivery schedule, they may need to commit earlier and accept more uncertainty. The practical result is less predictable product volume and greater exposure to procurement mistakes than larger manufacturers that can carry substantial inventory.
Framework is buying earlier and leaning on modular memory
Framework has placed non-cancellable orders far in advance, before the final price, delivery timing and even the exact volume are fully settled. This gives the company a better chance of obtaining supply, but shifts more risk onto the buyer. 1
Its repairable-laptop design provides another form of flexibility. Because memory is user-replaceable, customers can install compatible RAM themselves, including modules salvaged from older machines. 1 That does not create new chip allocation, but it can reduce dependence on one fixed memory configuration and help extend the useful life of existing hardware.
Jolla redesigned its board and tightened chip checks
Jolla has built two motherboard variants so it can use either a combined storage-and-DRAM package or separate storage and memory chips. 1 The approach gives the company options when one type of component is difficult to obtain.
The Finnish phone maker is also testing samples from every incoming batch. The goal is to confirm that chips sold as new are not refurbished components being passed off as new—a risk that becomes more important when scarce parts command higher prices. 1
Jolla has also introduced a paid memory-upgrade option, allowing it to manage some of the cost pressure through product configuration rather than applying one uniform price increase. 1
Fairphone is absorbing costs—for now
Memory can account for nearly 60% of the bill of materials in a handset priced at roughly $400, according to Fairphone. 1 That leaves affordable devices unusually sensitive to changes in memory costs and availability.
The three companies have not taken the same pricing path. Framework has moved to pass cost increases on relatively quickly, while Jolla offers a paid memory upgrade. Fairphone, by contrast, had not raised retail prices at the time of the report. 1
A price plateau is not the same as a recovery
Jolla said the price of its combined storage-and-DRAM package peaked at the end of March and then held steady, rather than doubling again by autumn as earlier forecasts had suggested. 1 That is a meaningful change in the pricing outlook, but it does not solve the supply issue.
The company expects conditions to normalize only from 2028, while the broader market remains constrained by allocation. 1 For smaller manufacturers, stable prices offer limited comfort if the parts are unavailable in the quantities needed for a product launch.
What this means for affordable phones and laptops
Modular memory, alternate board designs, early orders and stronger component verification make smaller hardware companies more resilient. But they are mitigation tools, not substitutes for supplier allocation.
If the shortage continues, the likely pressure point is entry-level hardware: fewer economically viable configurations, less certain launch volumes and more cost passed through to buyers. Counterpoint forecasts global smartphone shipments will fall 13.9% to 1.08 billion units this year as rising memory costs make entry-level phones uneconomic, underscoring why the shortage matters beyond niche brands. 1
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What is the short answer to "How Fairphone, Framework and Jolla Are Coping With the Memory Shortage"?
Smaller device makers are trying to secure memory allocation, redesigning hardware for substitute parts and taking earlier purchasing risks; higher prices alone cannot guarantee they can ship.
What are the key points to validate first?
Smaller device makers are trying to secure memory allocation, redesigning hardware for substitute parts and taking earlier purchasing risks; higher prices alone cannot guarantee they can ship. Framework uses modular, replaceable memory and commits to non cancellable orders early; Jolla has alternative motherboard designs and batch tests chips; Fairphone has so far not raised retail prices.
What should I do next in practice?
A recent price plateau for one Jolla storage and DRAM package offers limited relief: availability, rather than the quoted chip price, remains the central constraint.
Sources
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newsbytesapp.comMemory chip shortage squeezes affordable devices and risks smartphone shipments
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