The iPhone 18 Pro can't use CXMT chips. | Image by Sonny Dickson
Apple has begun raising prices across its product lineup, though the iPhone has miraculously been spared for now. With memory supply constraints tightening and upward pressure on pricing continuing, the Cupertino giant has decided to pass costs along to customers rather than continue absorbing them. While Apple is ostensibly working behind the scenes to secure more inventory, that doesn't mean the iPhone 18 Pro will avoid a price hike.
ChangXin Memory Technologies ain't it
It's too late to equip the iPhone 18 Pro with a CXMT chip. | Image by Fixed Focus Digital
To navigate the memory shortage, Apple reportedly wants to add Chinese semiconductor companies ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) to its supply chain, which currently relies on South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix and American firm Micron Technology.
The company has already started testing CXMT's DRAM chips while intensifying lobbying efforts to counter any political resistance, even though it doesn't need government approval.
Regardless of how this plays out, don't expect the iPhone 18 Pro to benefit.
Technical constraints
The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to ditch package-on-package (PoP) tech, in which the DRAM is placed on top of the application processor, in favor of a Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) design. WMCM shifts the DRAM to the side of the package.
The transition requires tight coordination between memory manufacturers and Apple's chipset team. Because Samsung and SK Hynix have been working with Apple for years, they are better positioned to optimize components for the A20 Pro chip.
Apple isn't looking to expand its supplier pool solely to cut costs. An estimated 15–20% of the memory capacity reserved for consumer electronics this year might be swallowed up by data centers in 2027. By onboarding more partners, Apple is trying to ensure that it actually has enough memory components to meet its shipment targets.
Dim prospects
Even if CXMT chips do make the cut for the standard iPhone 18, their use will likely be limited to China-bound models. Ultimately, bringing CXMT and YMTC into the fold is a move to ease Apple's operational pains rather than shield consumers from sticker shock.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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