Micron indicates that the memory shortage crisis is likely to persist.
AI data centers are consuming a significant portion of the global memory supply, and Micron indicates that even large-scale factory expansions won't remedy the situation in the near future, leaving consumers in a difficult position.
The consumer technology sector is currently grappling with a memory shortage. Increased demand from enterprise clients, particularly for building AI data centers, has led memory manufacturers to allocate most of their inventory to these customers, resulting in limited supply for companies focused on consumer products.
This situation has caused prices to rise or a decrease in available memory for PCs and smartphones. In the coming months, the memory deficit is also expected to affect televisions, tablets, smartwatches, and virtually all devices utilizing RAM.
According to Christopher Moore, Micron's VP of Marketing for the Mobile and Client Business Unit, the situation may not improve before 2028, as noted in an exclusive interview with wccftech.com.
Micron’s withdrawal from the consumer market marks a strategic change
In December 2025, Micron ceased operations of its consumer-oriented RAM and SSD brand, Crucial, to concentrate on enterprise and AI markets. This decision sparked a backlash, highlighting the company's preference for the rapidly growing AI sector over the needs of individual consumers.
Nonetheless, Micron emphasized that a significant portion of its market share still derives from LPDDR5 RAM modules supplied directly to OEMs like Dell and ASUS.
Under this OEM model, Micron maintains considerable control over the consumer supply chain. "Our intention is to assist consumers globally," states Moore, noting that the company remains engaged with "every single" PC manufacturer.
The executive pointed out that the total addressable market (TAM) for DRAM has surged, driven by the increasing demand from AI data centers, now standing at 40%, an increase from the previous 30 to 35%. He also noted that "50 to 60% of the overall market is requiring more bits" than it did previously.
Micron is still catering to consumers, but under new conditions
Although the surge in demand due to the rise of AI applications and data centers is a significant factor that Micron cannot overlook, the company "is still serving the consumer market."
Even as production increases, the memory shortage isn't expected to resolve until at least 2028. According to Moore, Micron's extensive factory expansion efforts won't provide substantial relief until that time.
Micron is working closely with PC and smartphone manufacturers to streamline RAM configurations, as varying memory sizes can adversely affect production yields, but this approach will only provide temporary stability. Ultimately, this implies that the memory crisis is likely to persist, causing challenges for end consumers for the next several years.
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Micron indicates that the memory shortage crisis is likely to persist.
Micron asserts that the worldwide memory shortage is not a temporary issue. Due to the increasing demand for DRAM in AI data centers, even with boosted production, significant relief is not anticipated until 2028.
