Apple may need Samsung’s help with iPhone memory chips, here’s why

Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) is one of China’s top NAND flash chipmakers. Earlier this year, Apple was planning to buy 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips from YMTC to use in the iPhones that will be sold in the Chinese market. The Cupertino giant had further plans to purchase up to 40% of the memory chips needed for all iPhones from the Chinese supplier. However, the iPhone maker had to put its plan on hold as YMTC and 30 other Chinese entities were recently added to an “Unverified” list of companies by the US. These are the companies that U.S. officials have been unable to inspect. Moreover, the country’s trade restrictions might result in the Chinese supplier, YMTC getting blacklisted in early December.

According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple will now have to turn towards Samsung Electronics for the memory chips that will be used in iPhones in 2023. The report suggests that Apple might keep Samsung as an alternative supplier if the US imposes export controls on YMTC.