# The Queue: Who Gets AI Chips and Who Waits

- slug: the-queue-who-gets-ai-chips-and-who-waits
- date: 2026-04-25
- category: Hardware & Energy

TSMC locked more than 85% of its chip packaging capacity to four customers through 2026. Nvidia alone needs 595,000 wafers — 60% of all demand. Qualcomm beat revenue estimates by $1B yet still cut its handset forecast, blaming memory shortages. The queue is the market.

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