Apple Testing Chinese Memory Chips Amid Component Shortages
The tech giant is reportedly exploring components from China's CXMT for iPhones and MacBooks to address supply chain pressures.
Apple has been testing memory chips from China's CXMT, the country's largest chipmaker by market value, for potential use in iPhones and MacBooks. This move comes as the company seeks to mitigate component shortages exacerbated by the ongoing artificial intelligence boom, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The tech giant held initial discussions with CXMT regarding the supply of components, with the aim of integrating them into some devices sold within China. People familiar with the matter shared this information, as cited by the Journal.
Other laptop manufacturers, including HP and Acer, have already begun incorporating CXMT memory chips into devices destined for markets outside the United States. This adoption is a strategy to alleviate existing supply shortages, the report indicated.
Reuters had previously reported exclusively that CXMT was considering the construction of a second memory-chip plant in Beijing to expand its production capacity. Reuters could not independently verify the latest report, and neither Apple nor CXMT immediately responded to requests for comment.