Rahul Naghera

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@suryateja_17 @stats_feed 120 delhi

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 RCB

[Abhishek Yadav @yabhishekhd]

This new year is not going well for customers in the smartphone industry. In 2026, smartphone brands are charging significantly higher prices from consumers in the name of RAM shortages and AI features. Although RAM shortages and AI features do affect pricing, some brands are still pricing their devices far higher.

In my opinion, this is mainly because brands are using a price skimming strategy and indirectly forming a cartel to decide launch prices.

Smartphone launches in India in 2026 (so far):
- Redmi Note 15
- Oppo Reno 15 Series
- Poco M8
- Realme 16 Pro Series

All of these smartphones have launched at significantly higher prices than their predecessors, which clearly supports what I mentioned in the previous paragraph about price skimming and cartel-like pricing behavior.

Let’s explain this in detail.
In simple terms, a Cartel is when rival companies secretly agree to stop fighting each other and instead work together to fix prices, limit supply, and maximize profit.

This may be true because some smartphone brands are parent companies and subsidiaries of each other, such as:

Oppo – Realme, OnePlus
Vivo – iQOO
Xiaomi – Redmi, Poco
Nothing – CMF
Transsion Group – Infinix, Tecno, and itel

Because of these relationships, there is a higher chance of price coordination, and it appears that brands may be fixing prices through internal discussions.

It also seems possible that the entire smartphone industry is following one leading brand to set pricing, a strategy commonly known as “follow the leader.”

This trend of follow the leader appears to have started with the OnePlus 15's launch.

The pricing of the iQOO 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro was exactly the same as that of the OnePlus 15, suggesting that iQOO and Realme may have followed OnePlus’s pricing strategy.

Notably, there was a significant price jump:
The iQOO 15 saw an increase of ₹18,000 over its predecessor.

The Realme GT 8 Pro experienced a ₹10,000 increase over its predecessor.

These sharp hikes further support the argument that pricing is being influenced by a leader-driven strategy rather than purely by cost factors.

Price skimming means launching a smartphone at a high price first and reducing it later to increase sales.

Phase 1: Launch Phase (High Price)
— Very high initial price
— Targets early tech adopters

Higher charges justified by:
- AI features
- High RAM variants
“RAM/Chip shortage”

Although RAM shortage is real but still some brands are charging way higher pricing on launch.

New or first-in-segment technology

Goal: Maximum profit per unit

Phase 2: Adjustment Phase (Moderate Price)
Small price cuts via:
- Bank offers
- Exchange offers
- Festive sales

— Attracts value-conscious buyers

Goal: Balance profit + growing sales

Phase 3: Mass Market Phase (Lower Price)
— Significant price drop
— Targets price-sensitive customers
— Sales volume increases sharply

Goal: Increase total sales and clear inventory

In Short:
— Early buyers pay more for new tech
— Later buyers get the same phone cheaper
— Brands use AI and RAM hype to justify early high prices

Let’s hope things get better in the future. This is my personal opinion and what I have observed over the past few months.

Thanks for reading.

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@91mobiles I didn't receive the update yet

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@reliancejio @exploreIMC I am having the worst network speed from the past couple of days. Whenever I chat with customer care it throws random number like our team is working on it. It will get resolved by 9 hrs 43 minutes. Every time it's the same answer. Such a useless team u have to resolve the issue.

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Grahakaa5 @reliancejio @exploreIMC @JioCare @jagograhakjago Sahi bat hai brother

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 Why do these companies take various charges if they can't provide things from authentic sellers only?

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 What a downgrade. Normal consumer doesn't know anything about this.

[Sudhanshu Ambhore @Sudhanshu1414]

I think Samsung is the only smartphone brand that no big Indian tech creator ever talks negatively about or criticises.

- Overpriced phones ✅
- Poor specs ✅
- No major generation upgrades ✅
- Outdated design ✅
- No in-box charger ✅

Still, somehow, this brand gets away with everything 😭

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@tarunvats33 I was thinking about buying s24 ultra at 75k but hearing about this green line issues, I shifted to oneplus 13.

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@heyitsyogesh Bought oneplus 13

[Abhishek Yadav @yabhishekhd]

Only a few deals are worth it, the rest aren’t that great. 😴

A recent report also suggests that brands already had plenty of stock.

I’d recommend waiting for the September sales. 🛍️

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@harinarayananpc @heyitsyogesh True, the other two were already selling at that price point earlier.

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 @MadhavSheth1 Which one is better OP13 or 13R?

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 Is there any price difference between 13r 256 and 512 gb variant?

[ᴛʀᴏʟʟɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴛ @Trolling_isart]

If the seller rating was 2 before few months, how he gained 4+ rating now on flipkart?

Seller and flipkart dono milke scam kr rhe h

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@Sudhanshu1414 45k should be the price of this phone. There is no usb 3 and no hassleblad branding

[Rakesh @GyanTherapy]

What is this @ASUSIndia
Infact recently Mere Brand New Asus laptop ke sath bhi ek bahut behuda experience raha hai aur abhi almost 1 month ae zyada ho gaya hai problem ka solution nahi hua !!

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@titaneyeplus Ago no reply. Called customer care, they said your mail was in blocked and said he will escalate the issue. Been 3 days since but still no answer. Very pathetic. #DontbuyTitan #0AccountibilityfromTitaneyeplus

[Rahul Naghera @RahulNaghera4]

@titaneyeplus Very disappointing experience with the #Titaneyeplus. I ordered 7 sunglasses and got only 3 delivered. Got the remaining 4 after 10 days. Now when I try to return them they are telling me to send an email to the team. Sent an email a week ago, no reply. Sent another mail 4 days