Memory pricing pressure continues to intensify. Contract prices have already recorded substantial gains for two consecutive quarters in the first half of 2026. The pace of quarterly increases may now moderate as the pricing base climbs higher. Still, the memory industry remains firmly in a seller’s market. Supply constraints have spread beyond high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and premium DRAM products to virtually all memory categories. Industry sources expect pricing increases to vary by product segment, but the long-term upward trend remains intact, with overall memory prices potentially rising another 60–75% in the second half of the year.

For more than a decade, Apple built one of the industry’s most profitable business models by using its purchasing power to drive down memory and component costs before turning hardware upgrades into high-margin revenue. The AI-driven boom in HBM and DRAM is now challenging that strategy.

Nvidia does not make robots, but it is becoming a key force behind embodied intelligence companies. At Automate 2026, North America’s largest industrial automation show, on June 22, Deepu Talla, vice president of Nvidia’s robotics business, said on stage that the company hired 18,600 man-years of engineers to bring the safety architecture of autonomous driving to robots.

PlayNitride reported revenue of NT$238 million (approx. US$7.5 million) in the first five months of 2026, down 41% year-over-year. The microLED company said stronger custom design orders and a higher mix of high-margin products will lift second-half revenue and gross margin above the first half, while it aims to improve again in the fourth quarter. Large-format TVs, wearables, and transparent displays remain the company’s core businesses. Over the medium to long term, it is targeting high-end displays, AI glasses, and AI optical communications as its three growth engines.