China’s memory push is moving into high-bandwidth memory, with CXMT seeking mass production of HBM3 and reallocating 20% of capacity, or 60,000 wafers a month, to HBM. While China may struggle to catch up quickly, analysts warn the bigger risk is price disruption as legacy DRAM output shrinks and AI-focused memory expands. TrendForce expects narrowing price gaps between HBM3E and DDR5, potentially squeezing margins below HBM4.

Apple is expected to apply an aggressive pricing policy to its iPhone 18 Pro series due this fall, even as memory prices rise, in a bid to expand market share. NineToFiveMac cited a report by analyst Jeff Pu saying Apple is considering freezing base-model prices despite supply shortages and higher costs driven by surging AI demand. Apple may offset margins by raising prices for higher-capacity models and possibly adding an iPhone 18 Ultra.