> At a Glance
> – Samsung will double Galaxy AI device shipments to 800 million units this year
> – AI features span live call translation, generative photo editing, and text assistance
> – Memory crunch already forces Apple to boost iPhone 16 RAM to 16 GB
> – Why it matters: Global RAM scarcity could drive up phone and PC prices
Samsung is pushing artificial intelligence to every corner of its hardware line-up, but the ambitious expansion is colliding head-on with a worldwide memory shortage.
Galaxy AI Goes Big
Co-CEO TM Roh told Reuters the company will ship 800 million Galaxy AI devices in 2025-double last year’s figure. “We will apply AI to all products, all functions and services as quickly as possible,” Roh said.
The AI suite, already live on recent flagships, includes:
- Circle-to-search
- Live translate on calls
- Real-time text translation
- Writing assistant
- Generative photo editing
- AI-generated wallpapers
Supported models range from the Galaxy S23 family to the newest Z Fold and Z Flip foldables, plus the Tab S9, S10, and S11 tablets.
RAM Crunch Hits Hard
Samsung itself manufactures memory chips, yet Roh admits record AI demand is straining supply. “As this situation is unprecedented, no company is immune,” he warned, without ruling out price hikes.
The numbers show the strain:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| OpenAI share of Samsung + SK Hynix DRAM | 40 % |
| Crucial brand lifespan | 1996-2024 |
| iPhone 16 RAM for Apple Intelligence | 16 GB |
Micron recently shuttered its consumer Crucial brand to focus on data-center clients, while Google and Microsoft are reportedly scrambling to lock down 2026 memory allocations.
Key Takeaways
- 800 million Galaxy AI devices slated for shipment this year
- Phone RAM may shrink to 4 GB levels last seen years ago
- Graphics cards could drop to 8-12 GB configurations
- Supply constraints may raise costs for phones, cars, and PCs
Roh says Samsung is working with partners to ease the bottleneck, but consumers should brace for tighter specs and higher prices until supply catches up.
