Executives from Apple and other tech companies are forced to make long-term reservations at Korean hotels to negotiate with memory manufacturers Samsung and SK hynix to supply scarce RAM for the next few years.
Executives from Apple and other tech companies are forced to make long-term reservations at Korean hotels to negotiate with memory manufacturers Samsung and SK hynix to supply scarce RAM for the next few years.
Other PC and smartphone manufacturers, such as Google and Dell, have also visited the headquarters of Samsung and SK hynix to ensure sufficient DRAM supply, Wccftech reported.
Despite Apple choosing Samsung as its largest DRAM supplier for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 series, Apple’s top executives have to book long-term stays in hotels located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Korea.
The ongoing memory crisis has also forced executives at companies like Google and Dell to do the same, which has led to a surge in the hotel business in South Korea. Memory suppliers are now picking their customers, and Apple, Dell and others have a clear advantage. But they are still paying a high price for it, with DRAM prices expected to rise 50% this quarter.
According to rumors, Microsoft and Google executives have received threats of dismissal if they do not secure DRAM supplies from Samsung and SK hynix, but it is not known whether Apple managers are under such pressure.
Recall that the global RAM market is experiencing an unprecedented crisis caused by the explosive demand for chips for artificial intelligence. DRAM prices have increased by 171,8% over the year and have even exceeded the growth rate of the value of gold. A 64 GB DDR5 memory kit already costs over $500 — more expensive than the PlayStation 5 game console. dev.ua figured out what the DRAM shortage threatens ordinary users, who is to blame for this and how long the crisis will last.
