Recent commentary suggesting memory costs might not ease before 2027 now looks optimistic, with fresh warnings indicating the pressure on supply could be far more prolonged. For consumers hoping for cheaper phones, laptops, or graphics cards in the near future, the outlook is increasingly uncertain.
According to Reuters, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won has cautioned that the worldwide shortage of semiconductor wafers may persist through to 2030. The core issue lies in the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies, which continue to consume resources at a pace the industry cannot match. He indicated that the current gap between supply and demand could remain above 20 per cent, largely because AI systems rely heavily on high-bandwidth memory and therefore require a significant volume of wafers.

The rise in memory costs is not the result of a sudden disruption or opportunistic pricing behaviour. Instead, it reflects structural pressure from AI’s growing need for advanced memory types such as HBM. Chey noted that expanding production capacity is a slow process, with the sector likely needing four to five years to build sufficient infrastructure. This extended timeline explains why the imbalance could stretch across the remainder of the decade.

(Image: Sourced from Samsung Semiconductor Website)

Memory components are deeply embedded across the technology landscape. They are essential not only in flagship devices but also in everyday electronics including entry-level smartphones, mid-tier laptops, gaming systems, solid-state drives, and graphics hardware. As a result, sustained pressure on memory supply has wide-reaching consequences for both manufacturers and buyers.

Chey also signaled that SK Hynix leadership plans to introduce measures aimed at steadying DRAM pricing. When firms begin discussing stabilisation strategies, it often points to underlying concerns about volatility, which can translate into less predictable and potentially higher costs for customers.

Given SK Hynix controls 57 per cent of the high-bandwidth memory segment and holds 32 per cent of the global DRAM market, its influence is substantial. As the world’s second-largest DRAM producer, its assessment of the situation carries weight and suggests that the industry may face a prolonged period of tight supply and elevated pricing.