Digital Lifescapes

Surging memory costs are about to reshape the economics of the global personal computer (PC) and mobile smartphone markets, and not in subtle ways. I see this as more than a cyclical component spike; it is a structural stress test for hardware vendor business models, channel strategies, and digital transformation roadmaps. When DRAM and NAND become the scarce fuel of an AI‑driven world, every assumption about price bands, refresh cycles, and good-enough devices comes under pressure. Device Memory Market Development Gartner now expects soaring memory costs to drive worldwide PC shipments down 10.4 percent and smartphone shipments down 8.4 percent in 2026 versus 2025 – that's the steepest contraction in device shipments in over a decade. This is not about weak demand for compute; it is about a single component class overwhelming the bill of materials and forcing difficult trade‑offs. The key number: combined DRAM and SSD prices are forecast to surge by about 130 percent by the end of...

Flash-based, solid-state storage demand has grown rapidly within the IT infrastructure sector, as more CIOs and CTOs adopt this technology. The outlook for the solid state drive (SSD) industry remains strong as units, revenue, and total capacity shipped are all expected to see robust growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), SSD unit shipments will increase at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1 percent. As a result, SSD vendor revenue is expected to reach $33.6 billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 14.8 percent. SSD Storage Market Development The key factors underlying the improved outlook for the SSD market are greater product availability and improved pricing dynamics as the industry transitions to 3D NAND Flash. However, IDC believes the current NAND flash supply constraints will begin to diminish in 2018 and contribute to further price erosion in the overall SSD market. In turn, lower SSD pricing be...