News
AI · Apple · DRAM · PC Market
Apple discontinued its $599 Mac Mini with 256GB storage, increasing the entry-level price to $799 for 512GB, as AI data center demand caused DRAM prices to surge 90% in Q1 2026, leading to an 11.3% PC market contraction by year-end, according to IDC and TrendForce.
Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, the primary DRAM manufacturers, shifted production to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers, consuming 23% of total DRAM wafer output. Producing HBM requires three times the wafer capacity of standard DDR5.
Hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle plan over $650 billion in 2026 capital expenditure for AI infrastructure. IDC projects consumer electronics prices will increase 10-20% by the end of 2026.
Apple eliminated its lowest-margin desktop product rather than sell at a loss or degrade quality. Other PC manufacturers, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, face similar DRAM cost increases without Apple's margin structure or supply chain control.
The DRAM shortage will not ease in 2026, as new fabrication capacity takes two to three years to come online, and investment priorities favor HBM and server DRAM.
