If you plan to buy a brand new smartphone or Apple Mac soon, prepare to spend a little more money. A massive global memory chip shortage is hitting the tech industry hard. A recent report from Nikkei Asia states the issue will likely last until 2027 (via iClarified).
The explosion of artificial intelligence requires an enormous amount of specific components, draining the available supply of standard memory parts for everyday consumer electronics.
Top chipmakers prioritize artificial intelligence servers over basic consumer hardware
Every major manufacturer of memory chips is changing its factory operations to build high-bandwidth memory. This specific part is exactly what an artificial intelligence server needs to handle complex computing tasks efficiently.
A top manufacturer like Samsung, SK Hynix, or Micron is working hard to increase its overall production capacity. Because building AI chips generates massive financial profits, each company naturally focuses its time and raw materials there.
This major pivot means fewer standard memory components roll off the assembly line each day. As a result, a consumer tech company struggles to find enough internal parts to build its basic laptops or mobile phones. Apple is already facing stock issues and has already sold out the MacBook Neo’s supply for April.
Buyers face higher prices while new factory construction takes years
With standard memory parts becoming so scarce, the base cost to purchase them is quickly rising across the board. A gadget manufacturer will likely pass this unexpected extra cost directly to the everyday buyer.
You can expect to see significantly higher retail price tags on computers and smartphones over the next few years. Expanding supply will take time, as almost no new factory efforts are expected to come online before 2027 or even 2028.
SK Hynix did open a new fabrication facility in Cheongju earlier this year. However, it remains the only major increase in production capacity among the top three companies for 2026. Until more factories finally open, finding a good discount on new hardware will become much more difficult.
