Apple's memory bargaining power weakens amid AI-driven supply squeeze, Korean media says

Apple’s waning memory pricing power reflects a structural shift, not a cyclical dip. AI-driven demand for HBM and LPDDR5X has redirected DRAM foundry capacity toward data centers, deprioritizing consumer devices. Tightening U.S.-Korea export controls on advanced packaging further compel Samsung and SK Hynix to diversify client risk away from U.S. giants. Meanwhile, Qualcomm and MediaTek are locking in TSMC’s CoWoS and HBM supply for AI PCs and smartphones, eroding Apple’s exclusive access to premium components. Over the next 12–24 months, Apple will likely absorb persistent memory premiums and accelerate in-house memory controller development—signaling an irreversible pivot from cost arbitrage to vertical integration.