Memory crisis hits such extremes that 'even Apple can't be safe', CNBC reports
The AI buildout has triggered an unprecedented squeeze in global DRAM and NAND supply, with CNBC reporting that even Apple is losing the price leverage it long enjoyed. Goldman Sachs trimmed global smartphone shipment estimates this week citing higher memory costs. Analysts warn consumer device prices will rise into the holiday cycle.
With memory makers diverting capacity to AI data centres, smartphone and notebook builders are confronting a supply environment in which DRAM and NAND prices keep setting new highs. CNBC reported that even Apple — long armed with the most aggressive long-term contracts in the industry — is now absorbing pricing pressure this cycle.
Goldman Sachs analysts trimmed 2026 global smartphone shipment forecasts citing the higher memory bill. The bank said the per-unit memory cost on a mid-tier handset is rising at a double-digit annual rate, a structural cycle squeezing maker margins. Some Chinese vendors are reported to be capping installed memory to keep nameplate prices steady.
Apple's plan to raise prices on its new iPhone lineup was confirmed by BBC Business. Industry analysts expect the memory squeeze to persist into 2027 depending on the pace of the AI buildout, leaving consumer device prices under upward pressure through the next year.
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