Samsung expects memory shortage to worsen through 2027 and last until 2028
Samsung warns that the global memory chip shortage is likely to persist through 2027 and into 2028 due to high demand from AI infrastructure. This supply constraint is driving up component costs, leading to higher prices for consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops.
Why it matters
The ongoing 'RAMaggedon' highlights how the AI boom is reshaping global supply chains and increasing costs for everyday technology consumers.
The ongoing shortage of RAM chips is not only expected to persist into the next year, but will likely intensify in 2027, with tight supply conditions lasting until at least 2028, according to Samsung, which manufactures and supplies roughly a third of the world’s memory chips.
Samsung said in its Q2 earnings call that frontier AI labs, desperate to obtain access to memory infrastructure, have been “sharing their medium- to long-term demand forecasts” directly with the Korean tech giant to secure future supply.
The high demand enables Samsung to prioritize customers willing to sign long-term contracts. This multi-year visibility will allow the company to install equipment and ramp up production without worrying that demand will dry up, helping it avoid the memory industry’s historical boom-and-bust cycles.
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