Apple CEO John Ternus Reportedly Plans Layoffs as Memory Chip Costs Surge

Apple (AAPL) CEO John Ternus is reportedly planning targeted layoffs and project cancellations, as rising memory chip costs and a rare services revenue decline squeeze margins at the tech giant. Services revenue fell on a quarterly basis in June for the first time since 2022. In late July, Apple issued cautious revenue guidance, citing an inability to secure sufficient memory chips. Former CEO Tim Cook described current memory pricing as a "hundred-year flood" rising exponentially, noting the company reluctantly raised prices. Memory markets have tightened sharply as AI-driven demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM outstrips supply. Capacity at SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics and Micron (MU) is nearly sold out through most of 2026, with Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN) and Meta (META) competing to build AI infrastructure. Analysts expect tight supply through 2027, sustaining pricing power for major producers. The裁员 measures could offset some cost pressure and help Apple avoid further product price increases in 2027.