TL; DR
- Apple has reportedly begun testing DRAM from Chinese memory maker CXMT.
- The chips may end up only in Apple devices sold within China.
- The move comes as RAM prices continue to surge due to demand from AI servers and data centers.
- Apple already increased MacBook prices this year and upcoming iPhones are expected to ship with more RAM than ever before.
Apple’s memory problem isn’t getting any smaller. After raising MacBook prices earlier this year due to soaring memory costs, Apple is now reportedly testing DRAM chips from Chinese memory manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) as it looks for additional supply sources.
The report claims Apple is evaluating the chips for products sold in China instead of using them globally. That would give Apple access to additional supply without having to redesign products for every region.
The timing isn’t surprising. The memory market has been under pressure for months as AI servers and data centers continue buying up massive amounts of DRAM and NAND supply. Smartphone makers, laptop manufacturers, and even console makers have all felt the impact.
Apple already passed some of those costs onto customers. MacBook prices increased earlier this year, and TrendForce recently forecast a 13.6% drop in global laptop shipments during 2026, with rising prices playing a major role.
CXMT and NAND manufacturer YMTC have both surfaced in previous Apple supply chain reports, so keeping an eye on Chinese memory suppliers isn’t exactly new. The difference this time is that the company appears to be moving beyond evaluation and into testing.
If Apple eventually approves the chips for production, Chinese customers could end up buying iPhones, iPads, and Macs powered partly by Chinese memory chips, while devices sold in the US, Europe, and India continue using components from suppliers such as Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron.
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