Apple begins performance tests for CXMT memory chips

2026-08-09

Apple expands candidate chips for China-bound products

[Silicon Valley = Ryota Yamada] The Wall Street Journal reported on the 9th that Apple has started performance evaluation tests on semiconductors from Chinese memory chip maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for use in smartphones and other devices. The aim is to broaden suppliers of semiconductor memory amid tight supply and demand.

According to the WSJ, Apple is considering using CXMT memory in iPhones and MacBooks sold in China and is in talks with the company. Bloomberg also reported in July that Apple was considering sourcing from CXMT as well as Chinese memory maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC).

Regulatory and design constraints

According to the WSJ, US government rules restrict US companies from outsourcing the production of custom semiconductors to CXMT. If Apple uses CXMT's off-the-shelf products, it may need to redesign its products.

Apple wants to obtain approval from the Trump administration for purchases from CXMT. However, it could face pushback from the US government, which is seeking to bring manufacturing supply chains back to the United States and is wary of technology transfers to China.

Supply tightens on AI demand

Memory makers are redirecting production capacity to artificial intelligence, where demand is growing rapidly, leading to supply shortages and price increases for smartphones and personal computers. Apple raised prices globally for personal computers and tablet devices in June and raised iPhone prices in Japan in July.

CXMT makes DRAM, which handles temporary data storage. Its parent company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in China in July. In DRAM, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix of South Korea, and Micron Technology of the United States, hold large shares.

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