The global shortage of memory chips, driven by demand from AI companies, could make life harder for Fujifilm than for bigger tech firms, according to an analysis published by Fuji Rumors. The site suggests this could affect the production and pricing of the eagerly awaited Fujifilm X-T6.

The argument

Fuji Rumors points to several examples of how tight the memory market has become. It cites a Gamers Nexus interview in which Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais described memory makers offering fixed monthly allocations on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. It also notes reports that Apple is using slower QLC flash in 1TB versions of the iPhone 18 Pro, and a Guardian report that Microsoft has bought more AI chips than its data centres can currently install.

The site’s conclusion is that if companies of the scale of Apple and Valve are having to work around allocation limits, Fujifilm has far less buying power and is likely to face higher costs and tighter supply.

What Fujifilm has said

Fujifilm itself has already flagged the issue. In its first-quarter results presentation for the financial year ending March 2027, reported by PetaPixel, the company projected an increase of around 8 billion yen in memory costs for its Imaging division and said it would aim to “minimize the impact of rising prices through pricing measures and the procurement of alternative materials and components”.

Our take

Fujifilm hasn’t confirmed any link between memory supply and the timing or price of the X-T6, so this remains analysis rather than fact. But with the company openly talking about pricing measures, it would be no surprise to see memory costs reflected in the prices of new cameras. We’ll be watching closely when the X-T6 is announced.

Our thanks to Fuji Rumors for the original analysis.

Key points

Price and availability

Fujifilm has not announced pricing or availability for the X-T6.