Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-11-18 13:16Core Viewpoint - The global memory chip industry is experiencing a significant price surge, particularly in the DDR5 and DDR4 segments, driven by increased demand from the AI sector and supply chain constraints [1][2][3]. Group 1: Price Surge and Market Impact - The price of DDR5 16Gb chips rose from $7.68 to $15.5 in just one month, marking a 102% increase, while DDR4 16Gb saw a rise of over 92% [1]. - Major manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have paused quotes due to rapid price increases, impacting the consumer electronics sector, particularly smartphone manufacturers [1][2]. - Tier 1 smartphone manufacturers have long-term supply agreements, preventing stockouts, but face pressure from the steep price increases, with LP4X/5X contract prices rising by 40% and UFS prices by 25% to 30% in Q4 [1][2]. Group 2: Supply Chain Dynamics - The demand for memory chips is being reshaped by AI, with AI servers requiring 8 times the DRAM and 3 times the NAND compared to regular servers [2]. - North American cloud service providers have significantly increased their stocking demands, leading to a projected supply shortage for memory chips throughout the next year [2]. Group 3: Cost Implications for Manufacturers - DRAM contract prices in Q4 2025 are expected to rise over 75% year-on-year, increasing the BOM cost for devices by 8% to 10% [3]. - Xiaomi's president acknowledged that the rising costs of memory chips are beyond expectations and will continue to escalate [3]. Group 4: Manufacturer Strategies - Smartphone manufacturers are adopting a strategy of slight price increases combined with a reduction in memory configurations to mitigate the impact of rising costs [4]. - For example, some manufacturers are downgrading RAM configurations from 16GB to 12GB without significantly affecting user experience [4]. Group 5: Challenges for Lower-End Market - The low-end smartphone market is facing more severe impacts from rising memory chip prices, leading to potential production bottlenecks and increased pressure on hardware profit margins [5]. - Smaller smartphone brands may struggle to secure resources, potentially leading to a market reshuffle favoring larger brands [5]. Group 6: Financial Performance of Companies - Transsion Holdings reported a revenue of 49.543 billion yuan for the first three quarters of 2025, a slight decline of 3.3%, with net profit down by 44.97% due to increased supply chain costs [6]. - The company is adjusting its pricing and product structure in response to rising memory chip costs [6]. Group 7: Future Outlook - TrendForce has revised its 2026 global smartphone production forecast from a 0.1% increase to a 2% decrease, indicating potential further downgrades if supply-demand imbalances worsen [7]. - The industry is expected to endure high-pressure conditions for at least another couple of quarters [7].