Apple's RAM shortage exposes limits of supply chain power
Source: The Verge
Apple's inability to buffer against tight RAM supplies—even with its outsized purchasing leverage—signals that semiconductor constraints are now binding even for the most privileged buyers. The RAM crunch reflects genuine capacity limitations in memory manufacturing, not logistics friction, meaning traditional supply chain dominance strategies (long-term contracts, vertical integration pressure, strategic stockpiling) hit a hard ceiling. Device makers now face a choice between pricing power, performance specs, and market share as the AI boom strains memory manufacturing capacity.