SK hynix, one of Apple's memory suppliers, has approved a 54 trillion won ($38.3 billion) investment to build two semiconductor fabrication plants in South Korea. The Yongin Y2 facility will produce high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation DRAM, while the Cheongju M17 facility will focus on NAND for enterprise SSD and AI inference storage. Construction begins in 2027 and wraps up by 2029.

Unfortunately, these investments won't make your next iPhone cheaper. The new plants target high-growth AI and enterprise markets, not consumer electronics. DRAM prices have nearly sextupled, and Apple has increased prices across its lineup. SK hynix, along with Samsung and Micron, faces a price-fixing lawsuit over DRAM supply manipulation.

Even with this investment, suppliers have already sold their entire production capacity through 2027, so immediate relief is unlikely. The price drop, when it comes, will be slow and gradual.