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Record Apple Sales and Samsung Chip Windfall Signal AI Memory Crunch

Companies flag limited capacity through 2027 due to AI orders outpacing supply.

Overview

  • Apple posted quarterly revenue of $143.8 billion with iPhone sales of $85.27 billion, buoyed by a 38% surge in Greater China and a base of more than 2.5 billion active devices.
  • Apple guided 13%–16% revenue growth for the March quarter but warned that scarce advanced-node capacity and rising memory prices could constrain production and pressure margins.
  • Samsung reported Q4 operating profit of about 20 trillion won, including a record 16.4 trillion won from its chip division, and cautioned that memory shortages will persist with limited supply expansion in 2026–2027.
  • Samsung said it is producing next‑generation HBM4 and plans February shipments to a major customer, with customers completing qualifications and HBM revenue expected to more than triple this year.
  • Both firms are stepping up AI spending, with Apple adopting Google’s Gemini for Apple Intelligence as analysts expect elevated memory pricing to continue through 2026.