By now, many of you might have heard that there is a memory shortage globally. More memory companies like SK Hynix and Micron are shifting their focus and priority to HBM. But if you’re an iPhone user, we have good news because it looks like Apple may have secured enough RAM from Samsung not just for the iPhone 17 series , but also the iPhone 18 series launching in 2026.

Samsung is the largest supplier of DRAM for iPhone 17

According to the report from Korean publication Hankyung , Samsung is reportedly the largest supplier of DRAM for Apple’s iPhone 17 series. Based on industry estimates, Samsung’s RAM accounts for 60-70% of iPhone shipments. It was originally thought that Samsung and SK Hynix would have equal shipping volumes, but the latest estimates claim Samsung has the bulk of Apple’s business.

Samsung is also expected to supply the memory for Apple’s 2026 iPhone 18 series as well. However, beyond that, we’re not sure. This is great news for Apple users. The current memory shortage means that RAM is not only harder to come by, but it could also result in phones being more expensive. Apple securing its supply this early on could lock in those prices, preventing a price hike.

That said, it’s not just about securing RAM. The report claims that Apple is pretty strict about its requirements. Currently, it appears that Samsung is the only manufacturer that can maintain both volume and quality to Apple’s standards. This is important, as the iPhone 18 is rumored to use six-channel LPDDR5X memory to boost the bandwidth, which will help with AI performance as well.

The global memory shortage

In case you’re hearing about this for the first time, the world is facing a memory supply shortage. This is because of the AI boom, which has resulted in the creation of AI data centers. These data centers require more advanced hardware, like HBM (high bandwidth memory), and as a result, more memory makers have switched over to producing that.

We can’t say we blame them because AI is where all the money is right now. However, this has resulted in a shortage of consumer memory. In fact, companies like Micron are projecting that these shortages could go well beyond 2026 . Some are predicting it could last until 2028.

So, if you have new and unused RAM lying around at home, you might be able to fetch a decent price for it.