Why Acer and Phison Disagree on the Memory Shortage

Acer and Phison are not making directly comparable forecasts. Acer CEO Jason Chen is relatively optimistic about PC components and expects prices to begin easing in the second half of 2027. Phison CEO K.S. Pua has warned that NAND flash, used in storage such as SSDs, could take about four years for supply to catch up with demand. Those views point to ongoing cost pressure, but they do not establish one end date for every type of memory—or for the prices of PCs and phones.1718

Why the forecasts differ

Acer is focused on PC component availability

Chen has argued that mainstream memory is more available than some shortage warnings suggest, while acknowledging that certain high-end parts remain constrained. He expects added capacity, including from Chinese suppliers, to help bring component prices down in the second half of 2027. Acer’s forecast is not an assurance that devices will become cheaper immediately: reports on his comments say PC prices could still rise before any easing takes hold.17

Chen has also suggested that memory makers may be overstating how long shortages will last to protect their margins. That is his explanation for the difference in forecasts, not independently established evidence about suppliers’ motives.3

Phison is warning about NAND and storage demand

Phison’s longer-term warning is specifically about NAND flash. Pua expects AI data centers, on-premise AI and AI PCs to add to storage demand, and has said new production may take roughly four years to catch up. He has also forecast that NAND shortages could be at their worst in 2027.781

That forecast matters for SSD availability and cost, but it should not be read as a four-year prediction for all DRAM. NAND flash and DRAM are different memory products, and the supply outlook can differ between them.18

Why AI demand can still pressure PC memory

The distinction between NAND and DRAM does not mean PC makers are insulated from memory shortages. TrendForce reports that strong demand for AI servers is supporting demand for high-bandwidth and high-capacity DRAM. It also says supplier inventories were at historic lows and additional DRAM supply was mainly allocated to servers.

That allocation can leave less supply available for other buyers. Reuters reported that smaller phone and laptop makers were redesigning products, testing incoming chips and passing on costs as they prepared for memory constraints expected to last through 2027. The pressure can therefore affect consumer devices even when a particular type of memory is not equally scarce across the market.

Why laptop prices are hard to predict

A memory-cost increase does not translate into an identical, immediate price change for every laptop. Qualcomm executive Kedar Kondap said it is difficult to predict when the shortage will end, and that laptop pricing depends in part on when manufacturers bought their components. A company with earlier purchases may face different costs from one buying memory later, while makers also have to decide how much of any increase they can absorb or pass on.

That uncertainty is especially consequential for lower-priced devices, where manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs. Reuters’ reporting describes smaller device makers responding with redesigns and price changes, rather than showing a single price path for every brand or product.

What the forecasts do—and do not—say about 2028

The sources point to elevated uncertainty into 2027: Acer expects a possible easing in component prices in the second half of that year, while Phison’s warning suggests NAND supply could remain constrained for longer.8 Those are company executives’ outlooks, not a settled industry consensus.

For 2028, the available evidence does not support a definite global forecast for PC or smartphone prices. IDC expects a smartphone-market rebound in 2028, but that is a market outlook—not a prediction that memory costs or retail device prices will return to earlier levels. The practical takeaway is to treat broad claims about exactly when “RAMageddon” ends with caution: the answer depends on the memory type, supply allocation and the costs manufacturers locked in.