Memory crisis hits such extremes that 'even Apple can't be safe', CNBC reports

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.