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The era of the sub-$100 smartphone may be ending as surging demand for AI-related memory chips pushes up component costs across the supply chain, including in China, historically a major source of ultra-budget devices. Rising memory prices, driven by AI infrastructure buildout, are squeezing margins for low-cost handset makers. The trend illustrates how the AI boom's demand for memory and storage components is spilling over into consumer electronics pricing well beyond high-end devices, potentially reshaping affordability in emerging smartphone markets.