During an earnings briefing, executives from SMIC highlighted that the current surge in artificial intelligence-fueled demand for memory chips has constrained the availability of these components for low-to-mid-end application domains, notably mobile phones. This has resulted in a supply shortage and placed pricing pressures on terminal manufacturers within these markets. Even if manufacturers manage to offset escalating costs through price hikes, it is anticipated to prompt a downturn in demand for their end products. In light of these dynamics, wafer foundries have observed a decrease in low-to-mid-end orders, whereas orders associated with AI, memory, and mid-to-high-end applications have witnessed an uptick.
