HP is reportedly evaluating Chinese memory suppliers as a global shortage of DRAM tightens supply for consumer devices, according to analyst commentary citing discussions with Bank of America.

Taiwanese semiconductor firm Etron Technology is presenting its MemorAiLink platform at the CES 2026 event in the US, integrating technologies from multiple subsidiaries. The company's innovation spans diverse AI applications, including drones and robotic dogs, demonstrating its broad industry footprint.

Samsung Electronics has reclaimed its position as the world's leading DRAM supplier in the fourth quarter of 2025, reporting record revenue of KRW27.7 trillion (US$19.2 billion) in the segment. The company's overall revenue reached a quarterly high of KRW93 trillion, with operating profit hitting KRW20 trillion, supported primarily by strong memory sales.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories of the first full week of 2026: January 5-11.

Samsung Electronics has reportedly secured KRW800 billion (US$550 million) through a low-interest loan program from the Korea Development Bank, according to sources cited by Korean media.

As DRAM and NAND flash memory prices continue to climb, NOR flash saw relatively moderate price increases in the fourth quarter of 2025. However, driven by higher capacity demands in end applications and constrained supply, industry experts expect NOR flash contract prices to jump over 30% in the first quarter of 2026, with sustained double-digit quarterly growth throughout the year.

Japanese semiconductor equipment maker TEL is ramping up investments to capitalize on a supercycle in memory demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) servers. With DRAM and other memory prices expected to surge roughly 10x starting fall 2025, rapid global data center expansion is fueling explosive demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools.

Yield Microelectronics Corp., a Taiwanese designer of embedded nonvolatile memory (eNVM) silicon intellectual property, has quietly established itself as a leader in multi-time programmable eNVM for logic processes. Buoyed by a growing stream of royalty income, the company has posted gross margins of 99% for two consecutive years—an exceptionally rare figure in the semiconductor industry.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addressed concerns over tight memory supply and soaring prices during a media Q&A at CES 2026, stating that Nvidia is likely the world's only chip company consistently purchasing large volumes of memory and ranks among the largest direct memory buyers globally.

Nvidia's next-generation AI superchip, Vera Rubin, has become the center of industry debate following comments by CEO Jensen Huang at CES 2026, where he said the product had entered the production phase. The statement has drawn scrutiny from the semiconductor supply chain, particularly memory makers, as questions emerge over the readiness of sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) for commercial deployment.

Optical lens maker Largan Precision held an earnings briefing on January 8, 2026, during which chairman Adam Lin expressed a wary smartphone industry outlook. Surging memory prices are squeezing smartphone bills of materials (BOM), making customers more hesitant to pursue lens specification upgrades. Visibility for the full year of 2026 remains unclear, with only the first quarter confirmed to be affected by the traditional off-season, during which capacity utilization will be lower than in previous years.

Smartphone brands face mounting challenges as memory prices are expected to surge over 50% in the first half of 2026, according to channel operators. The rise in memory costs threatens to impact operations and sales, particularly for mid- to low-end smartphones.

SanDisk is approaching customers with proposals for long-term NAND flash supply contracts that require 100% cash prepayment, according to supply chain sources. Industry participants said the terms are without precedent, particularly as they require buyers to commit cash upfront at a time of rapidly rising prices and severe supply constraints.

Memory prices are accelerating again as cloud service providers move to secure supply, pushing costs higher across servers, PCs, and consumer electronics. Tight capacity, fueled by heavy demand from AI servers, has shifted pricing power decisively toward suppliers, with binding long-term contracts now locking up output through 2027 and 2028, industry sources said.

The global storage chip market has entered an acute shortage phase, with AI demand now decisively outpacing supply and pushing prices toward record territory through 2026 and beyond. According to ICsmart, Reuters, and TrendForce's January 2026 report, conventional DRAM contract prices are set to rise 55–60% quarter over quarter in the first quarter of 2026, while server DRAM prices are expected to jump more than 60% and NAND Flash 33–38%.

Nvidia recently acquired Groq's technology license and integrated its core technical team, sparking curiosity about the chip giant's investment philosophy. At CES 2026, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang outlined the company's three main investment focuses that guide how it deploys its abundant cash reserves.

On January 7, 2026, Micron Technology announced that it will officially begin construction on its megafab in Onondaga County, New York, on January 16, 2026. The project, which followed environmental reviews and permit approvals, represents the largest private investment in the state's history and is intended to expand the company's memory manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand from artificial intelligence systems.

To overcome AI's limits, a bridge must be built between computer science and biology, according to Kea-Tiong Tang, a professor from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and a leading scholar in neuromorphic computing. Tang recently led a Taiwan team to the US for CES in 2026, demonstrating efforts to break from the traditional von Neumann architecture.

As 2026 begins, the global DRAM market is experiencing a rare price spike. Tight supply, rapid AI expansion, and expectation-driven buying have pushed memory prices higher since the second half of 2025, with gains outpacing most commodities. Hoarding and speculative behavior have emerged, with industry sources comparing the value of a crate of server DRAM modules to the price of an apartment in Shanghai.

Samsung Electronics reported a strong rebound in profitability in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by rising memory chip prices and sustained global demand from AI data center operators, according to its preliminary consolidated financial results released under fair disclosure rules.

Apple has secured enough NAND flash memory to sustain production through the first quarter of 2026. But the iPhone maker is facing steep price increases for DRAM as artificial intelligence demand shifts leverage toward chipmakers, according to Morgan Stanley.

When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed at CES 2026 that its next-generation AI processor, Vera Rubin, had entered full production, the message to the memory industry was immediate. The move effectively ignited a new competitive cycle in sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4), as suppliers race to lock in design wins for Nvidia's post-Blackwell platforms.

Facing the memory shortage, PC companies are aggressively promoting new models at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), hoping to regain momentum. Acer rolled out multiple new series, including Aspire, Predator, and Swift AI. Dell introduced the return of its classic thin-and-light XPS lineup and revealed that its gaming brand Alienware will launch new products.

Soaring memory prices have boosted the performance of related supply chains, with Nanya Technology and Adata Technology posting record single-month revenues for consecutive months, with December 2025 revenue reaching new highs.