Apple and Microsoft raise prices due to chip shortage - crisis may last until 2028 - Bloomberg - Українські Національні Новини (УНН)

Due to a global shortage of memory chips, Apple and Microsoft have raised prices on popular products such as iPads, Macs, and Xbox consoles. The shortage stems from the rapid growth of artificial inte... Read original →

The AI-driven data center boom has triggered a structural memory shortage whose ripple effects extend far beyond consumer price hikes. Technically, the DDR5 and HBM capacity tug-of-war is forcing logic foundries to deprioritize automotive and IoT nodes, delaying advanced-node diversification. On the compliance front, U.S. and EU subsidies for local chipmaking are backfiring short-term—equipment lead times now exceed 18 months, amplifying supply fragility. In market dynamics, Samsung and SK Hynix’s aggressive expansions won’t restore the DRAM oligopoly pricing power seen in 2017, as system giants like Microsoft and NVIDIA lock in long-term wafer deals, eroding traditional memory makers’ leverage. Over the next 18 months, OEMs will redesign BOMs—potentially sacrificing features—to absorb soaring memory costs. True relief hinges on High-NA EUV ramp-up and co-packaged optics adoption post-2027, the only viable path to break AI’s memory-bandwidth bottleneck.