On a July 31, 2026 earnings call for its fiscal third quarter, Apple told investors that supply constraints on advanced semiconductors, particularly memory, are expected to intensify quarter to quarter. CEO Tim Cook said memory costs have risen steadily since the quarter ended in late December and that market pricing will keep increasing beyond September, with a potentially growing impact on Apple's business. Cook attributed the constraint largely to a shortage of advanced-node capacity for Apple's systems-on-a-chip and to demand forecasting, citing year-to-date growth of 22% for iPhone and 29% for Mac; the DRAM market's three primary suppliers were also cited. The crunch, driven by surging AI server demand, has already led Apple to raise prices and to sign a multiyear custom silicon deal with Broadcom expected to exceed $30 billion. Apple plans to open an Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston this year.

• supplychaindive.com2026-08-05