Micron COO Warns Major Customers' Price Pressure Harmed Industry Investment; Lenovo Predicts High Memory Costs Through 2030

According to Micron Executive Vice President Sumit Sadana's interview with the Wall Street Journal in June 2026, major customers aggressively suppressing chip purchase prices lack constructive intent. Sadana noted that low pricing during 2022–2023 drove Micron's gross margin into negative territory and forced memory makers to cancel or delay investments, limiting new fab construction and capacity expansion.

At ISC 2026, Lenovo warned that AI server demand growth will keep DRAM and NAND prices elevated through 2030, potentially making high pricing the market norm. Market estimates suggest Q3 2026 prices may rise 50%, with Q4 seeing 40% gains; supply-demand balance may not improve until 2028 earliest. Samsung and SK Hynix similarly confirmed tight supply despite aggressive expansion efforts.