Full Breakdown
Apple Tests Chinese CXMT Memory Chips Amid AI-Driven Supply Crunch
8/10/2026, 8:27:15 PM
Core Event: Apple evaluates CXMT DRAM for iPhones and MacBooks
Apple is trialing DRAM from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for iPhones and MacBooks. The testing, reported on August 9, aims to ease a component shortage driven by AI hardware demand. Apple’s talks with CXMT focus on devices sold in China, pending U.S. government clearance.
Background & Context
The AI boom has shifted DRAM production toward data-center accelerators, tightening supplies for consumer electronics. Apple currently sources DRAM from Samsung, SK hynix and Micron. CXMT, China’s largest memory-chip maker by market value, holds an 8 percent share of the global DRAM market and ranked fourth worldwide in Q1. Laptop makers HP and Acer already use CXMT chips outside the United States.
Data & Statistics
- CXMT’s Q1 market share: 8 percent; global rank: 4th.
- Monthly wafer output: 300,000, with plans to exceed 600,000.
- Second-quarter revenue: more than eight times the prior year, giving a 7 percent share of global DRAM revenue.
- IDC forecasts a 13.9 percent decline in global smartphone shipments and an 11.3 percent drop in PC shipments this year.
Official Statements & Responses
Apple CEO Tim Cook likened the DRAM shortage to a “100-year flood.” Apple has asked the Trump administration for permission to use Chinese-made memory chips in products sold outside the United States and is awaiting White House approval for China-market devices (Wall Street Journal).
The U.S. Department of Defense has placed CXMT on a list of companies with alleged ties to the Chinese military, adding regulatory complexity.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on CXMT’s ability to provide near-term relief. One report says most of CXMT’s production capacity for the year is already booked, making immediate supply unlikely. Another cites planned plant upgrades that will more than double monthly wafer capacity, suggesting future leverage for Apple.
Verbatim Quotes
- “CXMT’s DRAM technology is still at the entry level, so its immediate impact on Korean chipmakers will be limited,” — Yoo Hoi-jun, electrical engineering professor at KAIST
What’s Next
Apple’s use of CXMT memory depends on White House approval, which has not yet been granted. If approved, Apple could begin using CXMT chips in China-market devices while CXMT expands capacity, projected for completion by 2028. The outcome will shape Apple’s supply-chain diversification and may influence broader U.S.–China semiconductor policy.
