Oppo and Vivo, two major smartphone OEMs, have declined Samsung Electronics' proposed memory pricing for Q3 2026,...

Oppo and Vivo, two major smartphone OEMs, have declined Samsung Electronics' proposed memory pricing for Q3 2026, according to a TechNode report citing Chinese-language source IThome. The rejected offer was only a modest increase over prior quarters, but it underscores growing resistance among downstream device makers to sustained high memory costs. The report notes that while demand continues to outpace supply, particularly in DRAM segments, smartphone brands are becoming less willing to absorb further price hikes. This event directly challenges Samsung's pricing power in the mobile memory market. Competitors SK Hynix and Micron may be affected if similar pushback spreads, though the article maintains that supply-demand imbalance persists, limiting downside for the sector overall.

What the sources said:

• "Oppo and Vivo recently rejected Samsung Electronics’ proposed memory pricing for the third quarter of 2026. Although the offer represented only a modest increase... smartphone manufacturers... are showing growing resistance to rising memory costs and are increasingly unwilling to absorb record-high prices." (TechNode)
• "In the near term, however, even if smartphone brands slow the pace of inventory replenishment, the overall supply-demand imbalance in the mobile memory market is unlikely to change, with demand continuing to outpace supply." (same source)
• "The tight supply is particularly evident in the DRAM segment. Server processors such as NVIDIA’s Grace and Vera CPUs are driving strong demand for LPDDR memory, diverting production capacity that would otherwise be allocated to smartphones." (same source)

Analysis: The rejection is a concrete signal of erosion in Samsung's pricing leverage. While structural demand from AI and data centers remains robust, pushback from key customers like Oppo and Vivo could cap near-term revenue growth. The 30-day window reflects the typical time for pricing renegotiations to affect Q3 outcomes.