AI Supercycle Creates Global Memory Shortage: Impact on Smartphones, PCs, and More

• The AI-driven surge in demand for advanced memory (HBM, DDR5) is reshaping the global memory supply chain, leading to an "AI Supercycle."
• Major memory manufacturers are reducing conventional DRAM (DDR4) output to prioritize high-profit AI memory, causing shortages in consumer electronics and industrial sectors.
• AI infrastructure builders like Nvidia, Google, and Amazon are securing massive volumes of memory, crowding out legacy sectors due to their less price-sensitive demand.
• The memory shortage is a structural reorientation of manufacturing, not a temporary disruption, with every wafer for HBM unavailable for other devices.
• Industry analysts predict DRAM prices could rise over 50% by early 2026, impacting smartphone, PC, and automotive costs, with new fab construction taking years.