The DRAM capacity of the new iPhones and iPads which Apple will release within next year will be doubled compared to the current models.This will likely to lead to a sharp increase in DRAM demand from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix which account for more than 70 percent in DRAM supplies for Apple.
In the global mobile DRAM market, the two Korean companies command a market share of about 75 percent.Thanks to the increase in the number of smartphone users and the expansion of the wearable device market, the demand for DRAMs is growing at a steady pace.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are estimated to have achieved operating profit of 6 trillion won and 4 trillion won, respectively, in the DRAM business this year.
Against this backdrop, Apple’s decision to double the DRAM capacity for its new iPhones and iPads will likely to result in unprecedented DRAM profits for the two Korean chip makers.
By Yeon Choul-woong