Memory costs ‘beyond imagination’ may imperil smartphone makers, Xiaomi leader warns

Rising memory-chip costs could reshape the smartphone industry, said Xiaomi president William Lu Weibing, after weak smartphone sales cut into the firm’s fourth-quarter profit. Memory prices were surging at a magnitude “beyond imagination”, drawing smartphone makers into a long-term price-raising cycle, Lu said on an earnings call on Tuesday. “When the price-raising cycle ends, some players may suffer significant losses or even face closure,” he said, without elaborating. However, the challenge...