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Product & chips · Aug 1, 2026

(material originally aired February 2026, relaying Apple's earnings) Memory contract prices said to be up 70–80%, and even Apple takes the hike — AI crowding-out has reached the buyer with the strongest negotiating power.

Chips & semiconductors · Trend watch

From the Aug 1, 2026 daily brief

The same batch also records: memory contract prices are up "roughly 70–80% or more," and even Apple — the buyer with the strongest procurement leverage — got pulled up on price, yet its margin guidance held at 48–49%, absorbed through three things: memory capacity sold as a premium configuration on high-end iPhones, an already-high baseline margin, and squeezed procurement prices on other components (Gooaye EP633, February 4, 2026). This relays earnings figures and "public information" without naming its sources, and the host disclosed holding memory positions; treat the numbers as direction only. The portable extension: Apple being able to absorb it does not mean brands with thin margin structures can; the real pressure point is mid-to-low-end Android and PC brand vendors.

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