Two of the world’s top chipmakers, Samsung and SK Hynix, have warned on Thursday that computer and smartphone companies are set to bear the brunt of a worsening shortage of DRAM chips used in their products. The makers are prioritizing demand for more lucrative chips required to build AI infrastructure.
The warnings by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which control two-thirds of the DRAM chip market and count Apple as customers, underscore growing margin pressure on consumer electronics makers and potential supply chain disruptions.
PC and mobile customers are having difficulties securing memory supplies due to supply constraints and strong demand for server-related products, according to Park Joon Deok, head of DRAM marketing at SK Hynix.
The race to build AI infrastructure has prompted chipmakers to divert manufacturing capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers, squeezing the supply of conventional DRAM chips.
Chipmakers, burdened by aggressive expansion after a 2017 supercycle, have been more conservative about adding production lines in recent years, contributing to the current shortage. Samsung announced such expansion would remain limited in 2026 and 2027.
As the chip shortage persists, some manufacturers are already adjusting their products to cope with rising prices. SK Hynix reported that PC and mobile customers are reducing purchase volumes due to price surges.
Global smartphone sales were expected to shrink at least 2% this year, according to IDC and Counterpoint, reversing earlier forecasts for growth. The PC market is projected to contract by at least 4.9% in 2026, IDC estimated, after an 8.1% increase last year.
Samsung, the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, also braced for the impact of the chip shortage, with its mobile business profit falling 10% in the fourth quarter. Samsung Mobile Business executive Cho Seong warned of a “challenging year” in 2026, expecting flat global smartphone shipments and risks of downward adjustments due to memory chip prices.
Investors will closely watch for comments from Apple on navigating a global memory chip crunch when it reports quarterly results later on Thursday. Samsung has prioritized serving server customers while planning to increase AI-related products’ share, which could lead to further constraints in conventional DRAM production.
SK Hynix, a leading supplier for Nvidia, maintained its “overwhelming” market position in the next-generation HBM4 chips, highlighting intense competition with Samsung as they compete for market dominance in the AI chip race.
Tech experts foresee that few manufacturers will be able to meet high demand amid the AI boom. Companies are likely to accelerate their supply chain mechanisms to combat shortages in the near future.