Overview
- Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said AI workloads will use more than 50% of global DRAM and NAND output in 2026 and called the shortage the “first innings” of a new normal.
- Apple quietly removed its $600 Mac mini with 256GB storage, and Tim Cook said chip shortages are affecting several Mac models, signaling fewer low-cost configurations for buyers.
- Consumers are seeing higher prices and trimmed specs as brands stretch limited parts, with examples including Motorola’s pricier Razr with less base storage, PlayStation 5 slim’s smaller system storage, and AYN’s switch to slower UFS 3.1.
- Suppliers are prioritizing datacenter parts and offering workarounds, with Micron developing HBM4 and a 256GB SOCAMM2 module, ASRock testing lower-bandwidth DUDIMM DDR5 sticks, and rumors pointing to NVIDIA reviving an RTX 3060 using older GDDR6 memory.
- Upgrade norms are shifting as 32GB of RAM becomes a common baseline for local AI tasks, and Micron expects PC and phone shipments to decline as tight supply and higher component costs weigh on mainstream purchases.