The global DRAM shortage is hitting hard — and even Apple isn’t immune. In a stunning turn, Apple agreed to pay Samsung a 100% price premium for LPDDR5X RAM, far exceeding Samsung’s original target of a 60% hike. Here’s what’s going on.
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Why Apple Had No Choice But to Pay Up
At the start of 2025, 12GB LPDDR5X chips cost around $25–29. By year’s end, that figure had skyrocketed to $70 — a staggering jump driven by a shrinking supply pool. SK Hynix and Micron have shifted much of their capacity toward High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for AI data centers, leaving Samsung as virtually the only vendor capable of meeting Apple’s massive volume needs.
Apple executives even flew to South Korea for extended negotiations — a rare, desperate move for a trillion-dollar company.
LPDDR5X RAM Price Surge: At a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| RAM Type | LPDDR5X 12GB |
| Price (Early 2025) | ~$25–29 per chip |
| Price (Late 2025) | ~$70 per chip |
| Samsung’s Target Premium | 60% |
| Apple’s Agreed Premium | 100% |
| Samsung’s iPhone 17 Supply Share | 60–70% |
Samsung’s LPDDR5X: Why It’s Apple’s Only Bet
Samsung’s 12GB LPDDR5X module is just 0.65mm thick — the slimmest available — offering 21% better thermal resistance and 25% lower power consumption versus the previous generation. For AI-heavy iPhones needing consistent mass-scale delivery, no other supplier comes close right now.
Check out our coverage on iPhone 18 leaks and expected price hikes and Apple’s AI features for 2026 to understand why this RAM matters so much.
Will iPhone 18 Get More Expensive?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple should absorb the premium to protect iPhone 18 shipment volumes. Apple’s Services division brought in $30 billion in fiscal Q1 2026 alone — enough cushion to absorb the hit. But an iPhone 18 price hike still isn’t fully off the table.
FAQs
Will Apple pass the RAM cost to iPhone 18 buyers?
Possibly — a price hike is rumored but not yet confirmed.
Why can’t Apple just switch to another RAM supplier?
SK Hynix and Micron are focused on HBM, making Samsung the only viable high-volume option right now.
