❯ CXMT reportedly prioritizes domestic orders and declines to quote Apple

Supply reportJiemian, citing China-Singapore Jingwei and industry sources, reports that memory maker CXMT recently declined to quote Apple for DRAM supply while prioritizing domestic demand. CXMT had not responded directly when the report was published. A lack of a quote does not establish a signed deal or termination of an existing supply agreement.

Earlier price discussionsThe report says earlier coverage in August described talks between Apple and CXMT over prices for mobile memory including LPDDR5X, with a request for a discount not accepted. LPDDR is low-power DRAM used in devices such as phones; price and available capacity both influence a device maker’s procurement decisions.

Domestic product progressCXMT has supplied memory to domestic device manufacturers. In a September announcement, it said its LPDDR6 chip had entered commercial mass production and debuted in Xiaomi’s 18 Fold. The company cites peak transfer speeds of 12,800 Mbps and improved bandwidth and power consumption versus the prior generation in internal tests.

Allocating capacityJiemian cites market views that long-term domestic device-maker orders occupy substantial capacity, giving them priority in allocation. For CXMT, this concerns how to distribute existing output among customers; for device makers, it affects the availability of memory and procurement choices.

▮ SIGNALMemory competition is shaped by product specifications and by how suppliers allocate scarce capacity among long-term customers.