SK Hynix, the Korean memory maker that supplies Apple and other tech giants, has warned that RAM and flash memory shortages are likely to persist through at least 2030. According to The Register, the company says demand from AI continues to outpace supply, and there is little it can do in the short to medium term to close the gap.
The warning matters far beyond server rooms. Memory chips sit inside every smartphone, laptop and AI accelerator, so a long shortage means device prices stay high, and companies building phones, PCs and data centers will keep paying more for the same components.
SK Hynix locks in 14 major buyers
SK Hynix has signed long-term deals with 14 tech giants that give those customers priority access to its output. Together, those buyers will take more than half of the company's memory production in 2027 and 2028, and some are already asking to extend their agreements.
The Korean giant doesn't mind: as The Register reports, the contracts include a mechanism that reflects market conditions within a price range agreed with each customer. In practice, that means guaranteed supply, but not guaranteed prices.
- 14 major buyers hold long-term priority deals with SK Hynix
- Those customers will collectively buy more than half of SK Hynix output in 2027 and 2028
- Contracts allow prices to move with market conditions inside an agreed range
- SK Hynix expects demand to exceed supply through at least 2030
