半导体芯闻·2025-12-26 10:12Core Insights - The ongoing shortage of memory products, particularly HBM and LPDDR, has forced major tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta to send procurement executives to South Korea for prolonged negotiations with suppliers like Samsung and SK Hynix [1][2] - Google has begun punitive measures against executives who failed to secure long-term agreements (LTA) with key memory solution providers, reflecting the urgency of the situation [1][2] - The memory shortage has led to significant price increases, with Apple reportedly paying a premium of up to 230% for LPDDR5X memory [3] Group 1: Company Actions - Microsoft executives recently visited SK Hynix headquarters to negotiate a new LTA focused on memory products, but faced challenges in meeting their conditions [1] - Google has dismissed a procurement manager for not securing long-term agreements, indicating the high stakes involved in memory procurement [2] - Both Google and Meta are expanding their hiring in Asia, particularly for procurement managers, to better manage their supply chains amid the shortage [2] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The memory shortage has created a competitive environment where companies are placing unlimited orders for memory products, accepting any price for HBM [1] - Samsung currently supplies about 60% of the HBM needed for Google's TPU, highlighting the dependency on a limited number of suppliers [2] - The expiration of Apple's long-term agreements with major memory solution providers in January may lead to further price increases in the near future [3]