Memory-chip shortage drives up consumer prices as AI devours supply meant for your devices - Crypto Briefing

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has created a severe shortage of memory chips, directly driving up consumer electronics prices. In 2026, data centers are projected to consume up to 70% of ... Read original →

The AI compute arms race is fracturing the DRAM supply chain structurally. Technologically, co-design of 3nm logic and HBM has become non-negotiable, forcing TSMC and Taiwan, China’s OSATs to rush CoWoS capacity while legacy LPDDR5 lines languish. On compliance, tightening U.S.-South Korea export controls on advanced memory impose dual cost burdens on OEMs like Apple: spot-market premiums plus urgent redesign of global inventory buffers against disruption. In market maneuvering, Samsung and SK Hynix are reallocating capex aggressively toward HBM4, while Micron pivots to Chinese data centers to absorb surplus. Consumer electronics brands—except Apple—lack pricing power to pass through costs, likely triggering a wave of low-end device production cuts from Q3 2026. Over the next 18 months, 'memory inflation' will permanently shift pricing leverage: AI infrastructure players dictate terms, while device makers without foundry-backed long-term supply agreements face irreversible margin erosion.