Overview
- Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung have allocated essentially all 2026 production to datacenter and AI customers, sharply reducing consumer availability.
- Samsung’s early Q4 2025 guidance points to profits nearly tripling year over year, a signal investors link to tight supply and higher memory pricing.
- DRAM vendors are rejecting multi‑year agreements in favor of quarterly contracts with steep price hikes, commonly in the 50–70% range for early 2026.
- Micron defended winding down its Crucial consumer brand and warned meaningful supply relief may not arrive before 2027–2028, with near‑term inventory effectively sold out.
- Packaging and testing providers including Powertech, Walton, and ChipMOS have raised fees by up to 30%, as buyers such as Apple and PC makers face rising BoMs, tougher negotiations, and configuration cuts that threaten 2026 shipments.