Apple is deepening its reliance on Samsung for the memory chips used in iPhones and other devices as global RAM prices continue to climb sharply, according to industry reports.
As reported by The Korea Economic Daily, Apple is set to source as much as 60 to 70% of the RAM for its latest iPhone models from Samsung, a significant increase from prior years when memory supply was more evenly distributed among Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron
Samsung’s ability to meet Apple’s high volume and consistency requirements amid constrained memory production makes it a preferred partner at a time when other suppliers are struggling to meet demand.
Memory prices have surged dramatically throughout 2025, driven in large part by demand from AI infrastructure and data center construction. Contract DRAM pricing has jumped more than 170% compared with the previous year, outpacing even the rate of inflation seen in precious metals markets. The trend has resulted in higher costs for memory kits used across devices from smartphones to personal computers, and analysts expect the pressure to persist into 2026.
The global memory shortage that has fueled these price rises is linked to substantial shifts in production priorities. Manufacturers are devoting a growing share of their capacity to high bandwidth memory and server grade components that are critical to AI workloads.
For Apple, which typically secures components through long term supply agreements that provide some insulation from short term variation, the memory crunch still poses a challenge. The cost of a 12 gigabyte LPDDR5X memory module used in recent iPhones has more than doubled over the past year. Concentrating a larger share of orders with Samsung allows Apple to lock in supply and reduce exposure to unpredictable fluctuations.
Experts say Apple and Samsung are among the best positioned tech companies to absorb rising memory costs, thanks to their substantial purchasing power and diversified revenue streams.
Beyond the smartphone market, the memory shortage is expected to affect pricing for personal computers and laptops. Analysts now forecast that average PC prices could climb in 2026 as manufacturers grapple with increased DRAM and NAND flash costs.
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