Apple has started testing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor maker CXMT (長鑫存儲, ChangXin Memory Technologies) in its iPhone and MacBook product lines, according to a report by TechNews. The outlet said the move is meant to address a supply shortage, and the two sides have opened preliminary supply talks with the goal of eventually using CXMT chips in some devices sold in the China market.
A separate CNA report, citing The Wall Street Journal, framed the testing explicitly as a response to an AI-driven supply crunch: Apple "has begun testing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor giant CXMT in products including the iPhone and MacBook to cope with a supply shortage caused by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom."
Both reports describe the engagement as preliminary rather than a done deal. TechNews reported that Apple and CXMT "have held preliminary supply discussions, with the goal of eventually introducing [the chips] in some devices sold in the China market." CNA, citing Reuters' account of the Wall Street Journal story, similarly reported that "Apple has held preliminary discussions with CXMT regarding the supply of related components, hoping to use them in some products sold in China." Neither report describes a signed agreement or a production timeline.
Despite the fast growth cited below, TechNews reported that CXMT's production capacity is "nearly fully utilized this year," and its technology "still lags behind Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron" — meaning the company is unlikely to fully resolve Apple's memory shortage in the near term. Separately, CNA reported that Reuters had previously said CXMT is considering building a second memory chip fab in Beijing to expand capacity.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CXMT DRAM revenue growth, Q2 2026 (YoY) | More than 8x | Counterpoint Research, via TechNews |
| CXMT global DRAM market share | 7% | Counterpoint Research, via TechNews |
| Planned capacity expansion by 2028 | More than doubling (>100%) | Counterpoint Research, via TechNews |
TechNews reported that market research firm Counterpoint Research found CXMT's DRAM revenue for the second quarter of 2026 grew more than eightfold year-on-year, pushing its global market share to 7%, and that CXMT plans to more than double its production capacity by 2028 to accelerate its challenge to Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.
Apple is not the first device maker to turn to CXMT. Both TechNews and CNA reported, corroborating each other, that PC brands HP and Acer have already adopted CXMT chips in products sold outside the U.S. market to cope with the memory shortage. CNA's account, drawn from the Wall Street Journal, stated that HP and Acer "have already begun using CXMT chips in products sold outside the U.S. market" for this reason.
TechNews reported that current U.S. regulations bar American companies from transferring technology assets to CXMT, making it difficult for Apple to procure customized chips from the company. The report added that CXMT has also been placed on a U.S. War Department list of firms considered linked to China's military, further raising the political sensitivity of any Apple-CXMT arrangement. Separately, TechNews reported that the Wall Street Journal's original account said Apple wants the White House to approve its purchase of CXMT chips in order to ease the price pressure caused by the severe memory shortage.
The story originates with the Wall Street Journal, which CNA said "was first to report" the matter on August 9, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. But CNA also reported that Reuters, in relaying the Wall Street Journal's account, said it "was not able to confirm the report," and that "neither Apple nor CXMT responded to requests for comment." That combination — a single original source, relayed second-hand by Reuters, with no confirmation from either named company — means the account should be read as sourced but unverified by the companies involved.
The reporting chain — a Wall Street Journal scoop relayed by CNA and TechNews, unconfirmed by Reuters and uncommented-on by Apple or CXMT — sits alongside a genuine regulatory obstacle: U.S. rules currently bar tech-asset transfers to CXMT, a company the War Department has linked to China's military, which is why Apple reportedly wants White House sign-off before any purchase. Even if that approval materializes, CXMT's own numbers cut both ways: its DRAM revenue grew more than eightfold year-on-year in Q2 2026 and its global share reached 7%, yet TechNews reported its capacity is already nearly full and its technology still trails Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — meaning a deal, if reached, would not by itself resolve Apple's shortage. HP and Acer's earlier move to CXMT chips outside the U.S. market shows other PC makers have already taken the step Apple is only testing.
According to TechNews and CNA, Winbond Electronics (華邦電) GM Chen Pei-ming warned on August 6, 2026 that 2027 memory shortages will exceed 2026's. CMS revenue rose 78% and Flash revenue rose 65% quarter-over-quarter, backed by NT$39.5 billion in 2026 capex, up over 70-fold year-on-year.
According to Technews, MoneyDJ, and CTEE reports dated August 6, 2026, TSMC (台積電) is holding roughly $1 billion (about NT$32 billion) worth of Apple (蘋果) A20 Pro processors that cannot complete back-end packaging because of a DRAM shortage. TSMC's CFO had already flagged rising inventory days on July 16, and Apple sources memory mainly from Micron, plus SK Hynix and Samsung.
According to Technews, also reported by CNA and ETtoday, the US FCC is drafting a measure to ban imports of new Chinese-made optical transceivers, with officials hoping to finalize it this year, though it could still be revised or shelved. The news drove same-day share drops of 7.27% for Innolight (中際旭創) and 5.29% for Eoptolink (新易盛), while Beijing's foreign ministry called the move protectionist.