Apple won’t use Chinese-made NAND flash memory in its forthcoming iPhone models, in an apparent response to tighter US export controls affecting the supply chain, according to a report published today by Nikkei Asia.
The company had planned to begin using memory chips made by YMTC “as early as this year,” according to the report, and had already completed a lengthy process of certifying that chipmaker’s products for use in the iPhone. YMTC is backed by the Chinese government, and while its products are slightly less sophisticated than market leaders like Samsung and Micron, it is able to offer its chips at substantially lower prices.
