Report: Apple tests RAM from Chinese manufacturer
The company CXMT from Hefei could soon supply DRAM for the iPhone, albeit only for Chinese models. But first, Apple must clarify this with the US government.
Factory of CXMT in Hefei in China's Anhui province.
(Image: CXMT)
Apple plans to get a handle on the current RAM crisis, at least for Chinese iPhone sales: The company is increasingly interested in products from local supplier CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies). According to a new report by the Financial Times, tests with DRAM chips from the manufacturer have already been carried out. However, before actual use, Apple must reach an agreement with the US government under Donald Trump: CXMT is still officially on their sanctions list because it is considered a supplier to the Chinese army.
US Claim: No Money for Companies on Sanctions List
Apple is trying to persuade the government to change its mind, particularly with the argument that CXMT DDR5 chips will not be used in devices for the American market. However, the US government simply does not want sanctioned companies to do business with American companies. The stance in the Trump administration is considered divided on the issue.
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According to the Financial Times, CXMT is now the fourth largest DRAM manufacturer worldwide after SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics (South Korea) and Micron (USA). While the top 3 are currently investing heavily in production facilities, results will not be apparent in the short term unless the AI industry, which is the most important driver of demand, enters a crisis. Micron, for example, still expects poor availability and high tariffs until 2027.
Attempts for Several Years
Apple had previously tried to add CXMT to its supplier list, but in 2022 – when there was no talk of a RAM crisis – this failed, partly due to the current US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was a Republican senator at the time. Apple did not comment on the possible tests. Whether CXMT will really help as an additional supplier is also not certain. Extremely cheaper prices or even sufficient quantities are not to be expected there either, as demand is already high. CXMT has already managed to increase profits after incurring billions in losses during the construction of the factories.
CXMT is not the only Chinese company for memory components that is considered interesting for Apple. YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp.) from Wuhan in Hubei province manufactures NANDs for SSDs and could help Apple with its iPhone flash memory. Here too, the company does not plan to use the Chinese components in iPhones for the West; instead, they are intended for smartphones destined for China.
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