- Apple reportedly exploring partnerships with Chinese memory makers to diversify its DRAM supply
- Chinese memory production scale is increasing, giving Apple potential leverage over contracts
- Apple aims to reduce dependence on supplies from Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron
Apple is reportedly considering partnering with Chinese memory makers Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) and Changxin Storage (CXMT), as negotiations with major global suppliers remain challenging.
The iPhone maker faces quarterly pricing discussions with Kioxia and other established suppliers, complicating efforts to stabilize DRAM and NAND component costs.
This exploration of Chinese partners, reported by Ijiwei (through WCCFTECH) appears to be aimed at ensuring additional supply options and potentially reducing dependence on Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.
Vendor landscape and memory limitations
Apple currently sources around 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 majority of the supply.
These deals 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 HDD-based storage modules in certain devices continue to require careful supply monitoring.
Faced with these uncertainties, Chinese memory manufacturers such as YMTC and CXMT have expanded their production capacity, and CXMT is preparing for mass production of HBM3 memory chips.
While its chips still don’t reach the performance levels of the established “big three,” the technology gap in NAND is narrower.
These developments suggest potential scope for Apple 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 requirements for both DRAM and NAND.
However, collaborating with Chinese suppliers, especially for advanced chips, carries operational, regulatory and geopolitical risks.
Both YMTC and CXMT were briefly 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 HDD storage in specific configurations to avoid manufacturing disruptions or product quality issues.
Apple’s decision to consider YMTC and CXMT follows a period of volatility in memory prices and tighter supply in the first half of 2026.
Quarterly negotiation schedules with Kioxia and other suppliers increase the complexity of maintaining consistent margins.
The company is expected to compare the additional memory channels with the reliability of the existing supply, ensuring that production schedules for the Mac and iPhone lines are not affected.
The exploration of Chinese partners comes alongside ongoing efforts to manage the cost and availability of DRAM and NAND for high-demand devices.
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