Q&A with Micron's VP and GM of Memory

https://morethanmoore.substack.com/p/q-and-a-with-microns-vp-and-gm-of

by zdw • 22 days ago

24 19 22 days ago

morethanmoore.substack.com

ironbound• 20 days ago

Save your time, has Zero details on the DRAM shortages and price hikes.

rvz• 20 days ago

This is the Micron top signal.

wewewedxfgdf• 20 days ago

Here's a question for the VP:

"Are memory manufacturers a tight oligopoly engaging in tacit price collusion?"

jdw645• 20 days ago

Usually, companies like Apple are largely to blame. [1]The memory market is said to be an oligopoly on the supply side, but Apple's low pricing and poor margins led to a halt in industry investment. In fact, there were reports in my country, Korea, that SK Hynix was cutting back on electricity usage.(during the downcycle, that is.)

The problem is that while AI has increased memory consumption and brought an upcycle, during the downcycle, mega-buyers like Apple caused various issues, and the production equipment that was scaled back during that time is now leading to supply shortages in the upcycle [2]. Apple fans probably won't admit it, though.

The memory industry itself has a characteristic where even a slight drop in demand causes prices to plummet, and even a slight shortage in supply causes prices to skyrocket. Elpida is a classic example. It's a structure where a company that loses in competition simply cannot survive by staying small.

[1] https://www.eetimes.com/apple-accused-of-nand-price-manipula...

[2] https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/25/micron-exec-suggests-apples-a...

m4rtink• 19 days ago

Seems like the problem is that Apple is so big it's putting the market under an unhealthy pressure. Kinda reminds my of big supermarket chains pressuring farmers to sell their stock with low to no margin by being the main buyers.

Seems very similar with Apple, using their closed technology to maintain an oligopoly position, which makes them able to pressure suppliers and perverse the market.

objclxt• 19 days ago

Usually, companies like Apple are largely to blame

Just as a point of fact, Micron and its peers have in the past operated an illegal cartel that engaged in a price fixing conspiracy to manipulate the cost of RAM.

mega-buyers like Apple caused various issues, and the production equipment that was scaled back during that time is now leading to supply shortages in the upcycle [2]. Apple fans probably won't admit it, though.

That's Micron's problem. Nobody held a gun to their heads and made them accept the prices Apple was offering. Micron willingly took those deals.

seemaze2• 19 days ago

Explain how this works when their phones only capture roughly 20% market share, and their computers only 10%. That is to say nothing of the demand for server memory.

It seems like they only represent a fraction of the demand side, but wield an outsized influence over supply?

rudedogg• 19 days ago

Any thoughts on the latest price fixing allegations?: https://en.sedaily.com/international/2026/06/29/samsung-sk-h...

musicale• 19 days ago

“Apple should certainly be blamed for deteriorating the supply and demand cycle in the global NAND flash market,” The Korea Times quotes an un-named industry official as saying. The article goes on to say that the Apple iPhone is proving less popular in China, Japan and South Korea than it has in the West.

Q&A with Micron's VP and GM of Memory

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