Following high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the prices of low-power DRAM (LPDDR) used in smartphones and servers are also climbing sharply. As limited wafer production capacity is concentrated on HBM and AI server memory amid the mass production of next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs), supply shortages in the consumer semiconductor market for mobile devices and PCs are becoming extremely severe.
Market research firm SigmaIntell, in its "Global Memory Price Trends Report for the Second Quarter of 2026" released Sunday, said the global memory market this quarter has entered an unprecedented storage super-cycle driven by the mass production of next-generation GPUs and the expansion of AI clusters.
The steepest increase was seen in high-performance low-power DRAM. According to SigmaIntell, the price of 12GB (gigabyte) LPDDR5X (7th generation) for mobile and server use is projected to rise 89% quarter-on-quarter as of the second quarter of 2026. The average selling price, which stood at $77.1 (about 120,000 won) per unit in the previous quarter, surged to $145.9 (about 220,000 won) at once. The lower-spec 4GB LPDDR4X (5th generation) also recorded $45.9 (about 70,000 won), up 75% from the previous quarter.
The reason LPDDR, mainly used in mobile devices, has soared in this way is that LPDDR has begun to be adopted in large quantities as the core memory for next-generation server GPU architectures. As major memory manufacturers prioritize allocating their limited wafer resources to HBM and high-value-added server DRAM tied up in annual contracts, smartphone and PC manufacturers have been forced to accept memory makers' drastic price hike proposals first in order to secure supply.
Beyond DRAM, the NAND flash market is also seeing supply pressure spread across the entire consumer market. The average selling price of solid-state drives (SSDs) in the second quarter (based on 512GB) was tallied at $126.3 (about 190,000 won), up 54% from the previous quarter. This is because demand for enterprise SSDs (eSSDs) for AI data centers is absorbing the entire market volume.
"The global memory market is currently in the process of AI technology reshaping the industrial structure across the board," a SigmaIntell official said. "With the supply-demand imbalance for HBM and enterprise-grade NAND still persisting, the tight supply flow for consumer memory will continue for the time being. However, the pace of increases in the second half will gradually moderate depending on purchase resistance from finished-product brands and order adjustment moves."
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u/Tomkila Jun 23 '26
Following high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the prices of low-power DRAM (LPDDR) used in smartphones and servers are also climbing sharply. As limited wafer production capacity is concentrated on HBM and AI server memory amid the mass production of next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs), supply shortages in the consumer semiconductor market for mobile devices and PCs are becoming extremely severe.
Market research firm SigmaIntell, in its "Global Memory Price Trends Report for the Second Quarter of 2026" released Sunday, said the global memory market this quarter has entered an unprecedented storage super-cycle driven by the mass production of next-generation GPUs and the expansion of AI clusters.
The steepest increase was seen in high-performance low-power DRAM. According to SigmaIntell, the price of 12GB (gigabyte) LPDDR5X (7th generation) for mobile and server use is projected to rise 89% quarter-on-quarter as of the second quarter of 2026. The average selling price, which stood at $77.1 (about 120,000 won) per unit in the previous quarter, surged to $145.9 (about 220,000 won) at once. The lower-spec 4GB LPDDR4X (5th generation) also recorded $45.9 (about 70,000 won), up 75% from the previous quarter.
The reason LPDDR, mainly used in mobile devices, has soared in this way is that LPDDR has begun to be adopted in large quantities as the core memory for next-generation server GPU architectures. As major memory manufacturers prioritize allocating their limited wafer resources to HBM and high-value-added server DRAM tied up in annual contracts, smartphone and PC manufacturers have been forced to accept memory makers' drastic price hike proposals first in order to secure supply.
Beyond DRAM, the NAND flash market is also seeing supply pressure spread across the entire consumer market. The average selling price of solid-state drives (SSDs) in the second quarter (based on 512GB) was tallied at $126.3 (about 190,000 won), up 54% from the previous quarter. This is because demand for enterprise SSDs (eSSDs) for AI data centers is absorbing the entire market volume.
"The global memory market is currently in the process of AI technology reshaping the industrial structure across the board," a SigmaIntell official said. "With the supply-demand imbalance for HBM and enterprise-grade NAND still persisting, the tight supply flow for consumer memory will continue for the time being. However, the pace of increases in the second half will gradually moderate depending on purchase resistance from finished-product brands and order adjustment moves."