Chinese Chipmaker CXMT Refuses to Lower DRAM Prices for Apple

Ahead of the autumn iPhone 18 Pro release, Apple is facing a noticeable shortage of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). With less than six weeks left until the official debut of the new devices, Apple’s manufacturing partners are urgently searching for additional chip volumes to avoid assembly line disruptions.

The Traditional Suppliers Fall Short 

Micron remains the primary supplier of LPDDR5X modules for Apple devices, with SK hynix and Samsung covering the remaining orders. However, due to a general shortage of global manufacturing capacity, even these industry giants can no longer guarantee the required supply volumes.

Negotiations with CXMT 

In search of a solution, Apple attempted to establish cooperation with China-based CXMT, a major producer of high-speed, energy-efficient memory. 

Because of the large order, Apple demanded special financial terms. However, its usual negotiation tactic of dictating prices failed this time: CXMT refused to offer a discount and agreed to supply DRAM only at full market value.

How China Dictates the Rules Now

China’s domestic market is saturated enough: local cloud giants and artificial intelligence developers are aggressively buying up CXMT memory. Chinese clients have already reserved large volumes at standard market rates, so the manufacturer does not need to offer discounts, even for Apple orders.

It remains to be seen whether Apple will accept CXMT’s terms or continue searching for alternative supply channels ahead of the launch.