Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTJabran KundiSun, August 9, 2026 at 11:06 PM GMT+2 5 min readApple logo - by Pexels via PixabayFor years, Apple's (AAPL) most effective negotiating weapon against memory companies was to dual-source using a cheaper supplier. This playbook worked, at times to the detriment of the memory makers, who just didn't have any alternative to the type of volume Apple offered. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the subsequent rise in memory demand has now given leverage back to companies like Micron (MU), however, while Micron itself hasn't shied away from criticizing Apple's past behavior.Apple recently raised the prices of some of its products, citing higher memory costs. This resulted in online discussions related to Apple's bullying attitude in the past, with some calling it natural justice. Apple management has been lobbying hard for favorable prices and even going to the U.S. government for permission to import cheaper memory from China. Micron has similarly lobbied for a ban on Chinese chips. While the company hasn't succeeded in getting a ban instated, it has still won in a way that many probably weren't expecting.More News from Barchart