- Apple reportedly exploring partnerships with Chinese memory makers to diversify its DRAM supply
- Chinese memory production scale increases, giving Apple potential leverage in contracts
- Apple aims to reduce dependence on Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron supplies
Apple is reportedly considering partnerships with Chinese memory makers Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) and Changxin Storage (CXMT) as negotiations with major global suppliers remain difficult.
The iPhone maker faces quarterly pricing talks with Kioxia and other established suppliers, complicating efforts to stabilize DRAM and NAND component costs.
This exploration of Chinese partners, reported by Ijiwei (via WCCFTECH) appears aimed at securing additional supply options and potentially reducing reliance on Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.
Vendor landscape and memory constraints
Apple currently sources about 60% of its DRAM from Samsung Electronics, with the rest supplied by SK Hynix and Micron, while on the NAND side, Samsung, SK Hynix and Kioxia provide the bulk of the supply.
These arrangements require ongoing adjustments due to price fluctuations, which have doubled in some quarters, putting pressure on Apple’s margins and production planning.
RAM availability remains limited, impacting planned production for several product lines, and additionally, hard drive storage modules in some devices continue to require careful supply monitoring.
Faced with these uncertainties, Chinese memory manufacturers like YMTC and CXMT have increased their production capacity, with CXMT preparing for mass production of HBM3 memory chips.
Although their chips don’t yet reach the performance levels of the established “big three,” the technology gap in NAND is narrower.
These developments suggest that Apple has the opportunity to negotiate terms that could improve security of supply and cost predictability.
Increasing production scale in China could provide additional volume to meet quarterly demand needs for DRAM and NAND.
However, engaging with Chinese suppliers, particularly for advanced chips, carries operational, regulatory and geopolitical risks.
YMTC and CXMT were briefly placed on the Pentagon’s list of restricted companies, raising concerns about export controls and compliance obligations.
Any deal must also ensure compatibility with Apple’s existing hardware designs, which will include hard drive storage in specific configurations to avoid manufacturing interruptions or product quality issues.
Apple’s decision to consider YMTC and CXMT follows a period of memory price volatility and supply tightening in the first half of 2026.
Quarterly trading schedules with Kioxia and other vendors increase the complexity of maintaining consistent margins.
The company is expected to weigh additional memory channels against the reliability of existing supply, ensuring that production schedules for the Mac and iPhone lines remain unaffected.
The search for Chinese partners comes with ongoing efforts to manage the cost and availability of DRAM and NAND for high-demand devices.
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