Memory Market Recovery Triggers Power Rebalancing
As memory chip prices rebound from cyclical lows, suppliers like Micron are openly pushing back against major customers such as Apple. According to Odaily reports, Micron executives recently "revisited their grievances about certain customers' price suppression during the industry downturn," referring to Apple's practice of demanding steep discounts when supply exceeded demand. Now that memory supply is tightening and prices are rising, suppliers have regained pricing power, reshaping the profit distribution behind the iPhone.
Industry analysts note that Apple leveraged its massive procurement volume to lock in low long-term contracts during the DRAM and NAND Flash price trough. However, after Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron and others cut production and AI chip demand drove up memory consumption, prices have been climbing steadily since late 2025. Suppliers now demand a fairer share of margins. If price increases persist, Apple may face cost pressures that could eventually be passed on to consumers.
This episode highlights how rapidly the balance of power can shift between buyer and seller markets in consumer electronics supply chains. For crypto and tech observers, rising hardware costs also affect upstream components for mining rigs and storage systems, making this a trend worth monitoring.