Apple Prepares to Utilize 2.4 Exabytes of LPDDR5 Memory in 2023 Amid Surging DRAM Prices

Apple has emerged as a modern-day King Midas when it comes to memory acquisition, prioritizing it above all else, even as the prices for LPDDR5 modules have skyrocketed. The tech giant is stockpiling these vital components not only to secure its own product launch timeline for the year but also to undermine its rivals.

Today, we explore the implications of Apple’s memory strategy in detail, providing essential context to understand its market maneuvers.

Apple’s Massive DRAM Consumption and Competitive Tactics

In early April, reports surfaced suggesting that Apple was aggressively acquiring “all available mobile DRAM on the market.”This strategy appears aimed at stifling competitors’ access to critical memory chips. This information was subsequently supported by Daishin Securities, which speculated that Apple’s efforts to hoard memory resources would impede competitors’ ability to meet their shipment targets while simultaneously increasing its own iPhone shipment estimate to a controlled 240 million units.

The consequences of Apple’s actions have stirred concerns among Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who have begun stockpiling memory components, thus exacerbating the existing market shortage.

To truly appreciate the magnitude of Apple’s influence in the memory market, let’s delve into the tech giant’s iPhone production targets for 2026. The base iPhone 17 model is equipped with 8GB of RAM, while the Pro versions boast 12GB. Recent sales data from Q1 2026 indicated that the iPhone 17 Pro constituted 25 percent of Apple’s U. S.sales, with the Pro Max version contributing 27 percent to overall sales. Assuming the sales mix for the Pro models remains consistent, the average memory requirement per iPhone would be around 10GB.

With Apple now aiming for an astounding annual production run of 240 million iPhones, this translates into an immense demand of approximately 2.4 exabytes of LPDDR5 memory—equivalent to 2.4 million terabytes (TB) of DRAM.

Given the scale of Apple’s demands and its considerable financial resources, it’s clear why the company would take measures to bend the memory market to its advantage.

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