Overview
- At CES, Samsung marketing chief Wonjin Lee said the company will pass higher memory-module costs to end customers and expects broader electronics price increases.
- Contract price forecasts have escalated, with The Korea Economic Daily reporting server DRAM could rise up to 70% in Q1 versus late 2025, while TrendForce and Counterpoint see 40% to 60% DRAM gains.
- Retail memory prices have already surged, including roughly a 50% jump for DDR5 between late November and early December.
- Industry reporting says 2026 RAM production is effectively sold out as AI server deployments consume DRAM capacity faster than supply can expand.
- Manufacturers are hedging: Dell and Xiaomi warned of potential consumer price hikes, Lenovo, Asus, and MSI are stockpiling, Apple announced a large Samsung purchase, and Samsung still projects Q4 operating profit to triple.