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Apple is under significant pressure due to rising memory chip prices. Photo: Reuters . |
This assessment comes after Micron announced its third-quarter 2026 fiscal year results, showing revenue of $41.46 billion . This figure is many times higher than the $9.3 billion recorded in the same period of the previous year. Furthermore, the company's gross profit margin reached 84.6%.
Micron also forecasts fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $50 billion , with an estimated gross profit margin of around 86%. This result indicates strong demand for memory chips in the AI era.
However, the story isn't just about current demand. According to 9to5Mac , Sumit Sadana, Micron's Chief Business Officer, alluded to a previous market downturn. He didn't name Apple, but his statement is relevant given that Apple is one of the largest customers in the memory chip industry.
Mr. Sadana said Micron was unable to invest sufficiently during the market downturn. Part of the reason was that many customers took advantage of the situation to drive prices down very low.
"We have told a few clients that such aggressive pricing is not constructive," said Sumit Sadana.
According to him, low selling prices and poor profit margins caused many investments in the industry to be halted in 2023. As a result, supply capacity did not increase quickly enough when demand rebounded strongly.
Apple has long been known for its negotiating skills with suppliers. Long-term purchasing agreements give the company a significant advantage over many competitors. They also help the iPhone maker keep component prices low for longer periods.
Recently, CEO Tim Cook stated that Apple needs memory chip prices and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. This is a critical issue for the company, which uses a large amount of RAM and storage in Macs, iPads, iPhones, and many other devices.
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Apple has simultaneously increased the prices of several Mac models. Photo: Bloomberg . |
The current tensions reflect a paradox in the technology supply chain. During periods of oversupply, large customers can drive down prices to protect their profit margins. But when AI demand reverses the market, these same companies are put under pressure from rising costs.
Micron is currently benefiting greatly from the demand for memory chips for data centers and AI. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said that the record results of the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 demonstrate the strategic value of memory in the AI era.
“Micron is investing at record levels in technology, products and supply to meet the rapidly growing needs of our customers,” said CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.
For Apple, the current issue isn't just about component costs. The company is trying to balance selling price, profit margins, and consumer purchasing power. If the memory chip shortage persists, the pressure to increase prices may not stop at MacBooks and iPads.
Source: https://znews.vn/apple-bi-neu-ten-post1663793.html
