Apple tests Chinese memory chips for iPhones, MacBooks

Apple has reportedly begun testing DRAM chips from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for use in its iPhones and MacBooks, according to The Wall Street Journal and other reports. This move is seen as an effort to mitigate component shortages exacerbated by the AI boom and to strengthen its supply chain within China.

CXMT, based in Hefei, China, is the world's fourth-largest producer of DRAM, following Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. The company is also on the Pentagon's Chinese Military Company list, which introduces reputational and political risks for Apple. This situation is similar to criticism Apple faced in 2022 when exploring a similar arrangement with another Chinese chipmaker, YMTC.

Analysts suggest that CXMT's current output is largely committed, and the company is expected to remain supply-constrained for at least the next two years, even with new production lines opening. The current testing appears to focus on devices intended for the Chinese market, a strategy that could help Apple reduce political and regulatory pressure in other regions, such as the United States. Laptop manufacturers HP and Acer have already begun incorporating CXMT memory chips into devices sold outside the U.S. to address supply shortages.