Global RAM Shortage Set to Persist Until 2030, Driving Up Costs of Smartphones and Laptops

Memory chip crunch tightens as AI demand outpaces supply expansions

The global shortage of RAM and other memory chips, critical components in everyday electronics, shows no signs of easing soon. Industry leaders warn that supply constraints could stretch well into the next decade, pushing up prices for smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and other devices that millions of Indian consumers rely on daily.

According to recent reports, major memory manufacturers are struggling to keep pace with explosive demand fuelled primarily by artificial intelligence infrastructure. A detailed analysis by Nikkei Asia indicates that even with ongoing expansions, producers may fulfil only about 60 per cent of total DRAM demand by the end of 2027. The outlook appears even more challenging over the longer term.

SK Group Chairman Sounds Alarm

Chey Tae-won, chairman of South Korea’s SK Group, which controls SK Hynix—one of the world’s leading memory chip makers—has cautioned that the crunch could last until 2030. Speaking earlier this year on the sidelines of Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose, California, he pointed to persistent wafer shortages and the time required to scale production meaningfully. Wafer supply is reportedly lagging demand by more than 20 per cent, with new capacity additions taking four to five years to materialise.

“Securing additional wafers takes at least four to five years,” Chey noted, underscoring the structural nature of the imbalance.

Chipmakers Expand, But Focus Shifts to AI

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology dominate the global DRAM market. All three are investing heavily in new fabrication facilities, yet most of these projects will not come online before 2027 or 2028. The lone significant addition expected in 2026 is SK Hynix’s facility in Cheongju, South Korea.

A large share of this new capacity is being directed towards high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a specialised, high-performance type of DRAM essential for AI servers and data centres. While this serves the booming needs of tech giants building AI infrastructure, it leaves relatively less room for standard DRAM used in consumer devices like phones and personal computers.

Research suggests that to match demand, DRAM production would need to grow by around 12 per cent annually in 2026 and 2027. Current plans, however, point to a more modest increase of roughly 7.5 per cent in some estimates, widening the gap further.

Rising Prices Hit Consumer Devices

The diversion of manufacturing focus towards AI has already begun affecting prices. Memory costs have surged significantly in recent quarters, with some reports noting DRAM prices nearly doubling or more in certain segments. This increase is feeding into the bill of materials for finished products.

In India, where affordable smartphones and budget laptops drive much of the market, the impact could be noticeable. Entry-level and mid-range devices, which operate on thinner margins, may see sharper price adjustments or even reduced availability of higher RAM configurations. Premium flagships might absorb some costs better, but overall average selling prices are expected to trend upward.

Analysts have flagged potential ripple effects: smartphone shipments could face pressure, while laptop makers have already signalled price hikes ranging from 10 to 30 per cent in some cases. Gaming handhelds, VR headsets, and even certain automotive and industrial applications that depend on memory chips are not immune.

Background: How AI Reshaped Memory Demand

The current cycle differs from past memory shortages. The rapid build-out of AI data centres has created sustained, high-volume demand for advanced memory. Hyperscalers and AI companies are locking in supplies through long-term contracts, further tightening the market for other buyers.

This shift has forced manufacturers to prioritise HBM production, sometimes at the expense of traditional DRAM lines. While overall memory output is rising, the composition favours high-end AI applications.

In India, the situation arrives against a backdrop of growing digital adoption. With millions upgrading phones and buying new laptops every year, sustained higher prices could slow momentum in the consumer electronics segment, particularly in price-sensitive Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Local retailers and distributors have already reported tighter supplies and selective stock for higher-spec models in recent months. Some brands are reportedly rethinking product roadmaps to optimise memory usage or adjust configurations.

What Lies Ahead

Relief, if any, is not expected before late 2027 at the earliest, with fuller normalisation possibly only by 2028 or 2030 depending on how aggressively capacity ramps up and whether wafer production constraints are resolved.

Industry watchers suggest that until then, consumers might see continued upward pressure on device prices. Buyers planning big-ticket purchases could consider acting sooner or opting for configurations that balance performance with available memory options.

Manufacturers, on their part, continue to invest billions in expanding fabs, but the long lead times inherent to semiconductor production mean the market will remain tight for the foreseeable future.

For Indian consumers and businesses, the message is clear: the era of cheap, abundant memory may be on pause as the world races to power the AI revolution. How quickly the industry bridges this gap will determine the pace at which technology remains accessible to the masses.

New Security Feature Rolled Out

In a significant India News Update for digital privacy, WhatsApp has introduced a new feature called Strict Account Settings, aimed at enhancing user security against advanced cyber threats. The update, rolled out in 2026, is currently being released in phases and is expected to reach all users within a week.

The feature is designed to provide an additional layer of protection, especially for individuals vulnerable to targeted attacks, including journalists, public figures and professionals handling sensitive information.

What Feature Offers

Strict Account Settings acts as a high-security mode within WhatsApp, enabling users to safeguard their chats through enhanced controls. Once activated, it restricts potentially harmful interactions and reduces exposure to suspicious activity on the platform.

According to officials familiar with the rollout, the feature focuses on minimising risks from spyware, phishing links and unauthorised contact attempts.

Rising Cyber Threats Concern

The move comes amid growing concerns over cyberattacks targeting messaging platforms. Over the past few years, WhatsApp has faced multiple security challenges, including spyware infiltration and account hacking attempts.

Cybersecurity experts have pointed out that attackers often exploit unknown numbers, malicious links and media files to gain access to private data. The introduction of Strict Account Settings aims to address these vulnerabilities.

Key Safety Features Added

The new feature includes several built-in protections designed to strengthen account safety:

 Media Blocking: Automatically blocks photos, videos and files from unknown senders, reducing malware risks.

 Silence Unknown Calls: Calls from unsaved numbers are muted to prevent spam and unwanted contact.

 Restricted Link Previews: Links from unfamiliar sources do not display previews, lowering phishing risks.

 Safer Group Invitations: Unknown users cannot add individuals to groups without consent.

These measures collectively create a more controlled and secure messaging environment.

How To Activate It

Users can enable Strict Account Settings through a simple process within the app:

 Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu

 Go to Settings

 Select Privacy

 Tap on Advanced

 Enable Strict Account Settings and follow the prompts

The process takes only a few seconds and does not require additional downloads.

Who Benefits Most

While the feature is available to all users, it is particularly relevant for those at higher risk of targeted surveillance or cyberattacks. This includes media professionals, activists, business leaders and government officials.

Experts say the feature aligns with global trends where tech platforms are introducing “lockdown modes” to protect high-risk users.

Impact On User Privacy

The rollout is expected to significantly improve user confidence in digital communication. By limiting unknown interactions and blocking suspicious content, WhatsApp aims to create a safer ecosystem for its over two billion users worldwide.

Industry observers note that such Government Updates and platform-led initiatives are crucial as cyber threats continue to evolve rapidly.

What Lies Ahead

As per reports, WhatsApp may continue to expand security features in future updates, including AI-based threat detection and enhanced encryption tools. The company is also expected to gather user feedback before refining Strict Account Settings further.

For now, the feature marks a proactive step in addressing cybersecurity challenges and reflects the growing focus on user safety in the digital age. With Strict Account Settings, WhatsApp reinforces its commitment to protecting private conversations in an increasingly vulnerable online environment.

Toonsutra, India's #1 digital comics platform, today announced a landmark expansion of its AI-powered localization capabilities, adding support for five new Indian languages: Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam. The announcement marks the first time readers in these languages will have access to premium, best-selling international comics, including titles that have never before been available in these languages anywhere.

With this expansion, Toonsutra now supports 10 languages: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, English, and Bahasa Indonesia, covering the native tongues of over 1.5 billion people across India and Southeast Asia.

A Historic First for Indian Language Comics.

For hundreds of millions of Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam speakers, premium comic content has historically been available only in English or Hindi. Toonsutra's AI-powered translation platform changes that. Not by offering machine-translated versions of obscure titles, but by making Toonsutra's full catalog of 3,200+ premium titles available in these languages, including internationally bestselling comics for the very first time.

"Language should never be a barrier to great storytelling," said Vishal Anand, Co-founder & CEO of Toonsutra. "We built our AI localization engine precisely to solve this problem at scale. Today, a student in Pune, a professional in Bengaluru, or a teenager in Kochi can pick up the same globally loved comics their counterparts in Tokyo or New York read, in the language they think and dream in. That's a genuinely new thing in the world."

AI at the Core: Autonomous, High-Quality Localization

Toonsutra's language expansion is powered by its proprietary AI localization engine, built in partnership with Google's AI Futures Fund, which autonomously translates not just text, but the full visual and cultural context of comics. Unlike generic machine translation, Toonsutra's system is purpose-built for visual storytelling: understanding panel flow, character voice, cultural idioms, and the constraints of speech bubbles.

The result is high-quality, natural-sounding comics that read as if originally written for Indian audiences. The same technology enables Toonsutra to scale across languages far faster than traditional localization methods, which typically require months of manual effort per title.

Why This Matters: The Scale of the Opportunity

The five newly added languages together represent over 450 million people, one of the largest untapped digital content markets in the world. Bengali alone accounts for approximately 230 million of those speakers, making it the 7th most spoken language globally and larger than the entire population of Brazil. Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam are each the heartbeat of their respective states, with deeply proud literary traditions and tens of millions of passionate readers who have long consumed global content in languages not their own. Collectively, these are communities that have historically been underserved by global digital entertainment platforms. Toonsutra's expansion directly addresses that gap.

Toonsutra's Full Language Lineup
With today's announcement, Toonsutra supports: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, English, and Bahasa Indonesia.

About Toonsutra
Toonsutra is India's #1 digital comics platform with 2M+ monthly active users. Backed by Google's AI Futures Fund, Holtzbrinck, Sony Innovation Fund, and others, Toonsutra is on a mission to make the world's best comics accessible to every reader, in every language. The platform has been recognized as Google Play's "Best Hidden Gem" and has pioneered innovations including Cinematic Mode and ToonScript (AI-powered prose-to-webtoon technology).
Website:www.toonsutra.comDownload: Available on Google Play and the App Store