AI与手机电脑“抢”芯片：手机厂商警告价格或上涨30%，存储短缺将持续至2027

Core Viewpoint - The global storage chip market is facing a supply crisis, driven by competition between AI data centers and consumer electronics manufacturers, leading to skyrocketing prices and potential macroeconomic risks [1] Group 1: Supply Crisis Overview - The shortage affects nearly all types of storage chips, from USB flash drives to high-end HBM chips, threatening to increase consumer product prices and impact AI infrastructure investment returns [1] - SK Hynix predicts that the storage shortage will last until the end of 2027, with major tech companies like Microsoft and Google vying for supplies from manufacturers like Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix [1][4] - TrendForce reports that some storage chip prices have more than doubled since February, with average inventory levels for DRAM suppliers dropping significantly [1] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The crisis stems from a mismatch between chip manufacturers' strategic shifts and market demand, particularly following the AI boom initiated by the release of ChatGPT in November 2022 [5] - Samsung and Micron have announced plans to halt production of older DDR4 chips, reallocating capacity to high-bandwidth memory for AI processors [5][8] - Major tech companies are placing open orders with Micron, indicating they will accept any available capacity regardless of price [9] Group 3: Consumer Impact - The rising storage costs are expected to lead to price increases for smartphones, with Realme indicating potential hikes of 20% to 30% [4][11] - Retailers in Japan are limiting the quantity of storage products consumers can purchase to prevent hoarding, with prices for certain memory products having surged dramatically [11] - Companies like Xiaomi are planning to offset higher storage costs through price increases and a shift towards selling more high-end devices [11] Group 4: Secondary Market and Economic Implications - The price surge is driving customers to the secondary market, with increased sales of used components and a rapid change in pricing dynamics among distributors [12] - The storage shortage is evolving into a macroeconomic risk, potentially delaying significant digital infrastructure investments and exacerbating inflationary pressures in various economies [12]