In a major development that suggests things are moving ahead at a fairly rapid pace, Apple has apparently begun testing DRAM from CXMT ahead of a possible inclusion in its expansive product portfolio.
Apple has begun testing DRAM from CXMT as it continues its lobbying efforts in Washington for a more lax attitude towards China-sourced memory products
According to the Financial Times, Apple is currently testing DRAM products from China's CXMT, hinting at a growing probability of the Chinese DRAM giant becoming a part of Apple's sprawling supply chain in the near future.
This comes as the Financial Times reported recently that Apple was lobbying the Trump administration for clearance to buy DRAM from CXMT, which remains on a Pentagon blacklist for its connections to China's People's Liberation Army.
Then, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman chimed in by disclosing that Apple was working with the Trump administration to minimize any blowback in Washington if it does end up procuring memory resources from CXMT and YMTC for its products sold in China.
Of course, as we noted at the time, the move never made much economic sense, especially as a lot of CXMT's capacity is locked behind long-term agreements or LTAs, its massive AI-focused DDR capacity is of no use to Apple, while the limited LPDDR capacity comes at prices that are equivalent to those from Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron, and finally, its DRAM can only be used for products sold within China.
Even so, CXMT is rapidly approaching technological parity with the so-called Big Three - Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron. For instance, the Chinese DRAM giant is now eyeing W2W or Wafer-to-Wafer Hybrid Bonding for the next-gen bonded DRAM, where the memory chip's data-storage cells and its control logic circuits are built on separate silicon wafers and then fused together vertically using advanced packaging. This dramatically increases memory density, lowers latency, and improves power efficiency. CXMT is apparently testing this technology at a pilot line in Hefei, China, with the primary goal being the mass production of high-density memory. Therefore, by incorporating CXMT within its supply chain, Apple would presumably also gain access to this next-gen memory technology.
Meanwhile, according to the Bank of America, Apple can certainly use CXMT-sourced DRAM to increase its negotiation leverage with Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron:
"Apple may try to use CXMT’s DRAM to increase bargaining power when it negotiates 2H or 2027 contract prices with Korea/US big-3 DRAM makers, though actual purchasing volume (from CXMT) remains small."
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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