Apple Pivots to Samsung for iPhone Memory Chips Following US Trade Ban Against Chinese Suppliers

Apple will turn to Samsung for memory used in iPhones ahead of the imposition of U.S. export controls on one of China's top NAND flash chipmakers, reports DigiTimes.

samsung logo 2022
Apple originally intended to buy 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips from Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) for use in iPhones sold in the Chinese market as early as this year, with the possibility of eventually purchasing up to 40% of the chips needed for all iPhones.

However, last month those plans were put on hold when YMTC and 30 other Chinese entities were added to an "Unverified" list of companies that U.S. officials have been unable to inspect, and the supplier is widely expected to be blacklisted in early December for trade restrictions.

U.S. companies are prohibited from sharing any design, technologies, documents or specifications to companies on the Unverified List without a license. Companies who cannot provide the necessary information within 60 days can be added to the U.S. export control blacklist. YMTC is also being investigated by the U.S. Commerce Department over whether it violated Washington's export controls by selling chips to Huawei, which is already blacklisted.

As a result of the restrictions, Apple will now use Samsung Electronics as an alternative supplier starting in 2023, according to supply chain sources cited in the report.

Samsung, long the main supplier of DRAM chips for iPhones, is set to start next year supplying NAND flash for iOS devices from its plant in China's Xian plant, which now contributes 40% of the Korean vendor's total 3D NAND flash capacity, ranging from 128 to 176 layers, the sources said.

Unlike its rivals, Samsung has not imposed production cuts in response to sluggish NAND flash market demand, likely partly due to its entry into the Apple supply chain. Moreover, the Korean manufacturer is thought to be able to afford quote cuts and output increases, which has further strengthened its competitiveness.

The export controls on China imposed by the Biden administration are an effort to slow the country's technological and military advances by cutting off Beijing's supplies from certain semiconductor chips made anywhere in the world with U.S. equipment.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20'

Thursday October 23, 2025 4:28 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhone lineup launched in the fall of 2027 will be called the "iPhone 20" models, rather than the "iPhone 19," according to research firm Omdia. Speaking at a conference in Seoul (via ETNews), Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol corroborated rumors that Apple plans to move the launch of its standard iPhone to the first half of the year and provided some additional clarity about...
trump white house ballroom

Apple Donating to Trump's $350M White House Ballroom Project

Thursday October 23, 2025 3:55 pm PDT by
Apple is one of several tech companies that will contribute to the construction of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90,000-square-foot ballroom, reports CNN. Construction began on the ballroom this week, and the White House's east wing was torn down. Trump claims that the ballroom will cost $350 million, and that it will be privately funded through donations. The cost has already increased $150 ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's License Feature in Apple Wallet App Launches in Another U.S. State

Thursday October 23, 2025 7:44 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available to residents of West Virginia. To set it up, open the Wallet app and tap on the plus sign in...
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars [Updated]

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
maxresdefault

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:48 am PDT by
iPhone Air demand failed to meet Apple's expectations and the company's supply chain is scaling back shipments and production, reports Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued ...

Top Rated Comments

WiiDSmoker Avatar
38 months ago

Sad. Now we can expect things to get a bit more expensive. These things add up over time.

Dear politics, stop getting in the way.
The markup is ALREADY INSANE from Apple on memory and storage.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pezimak Avatar
38 months ago

Should really just add all of China to that “unverified” list. India has all the advantages of China without being a threat to Western society.
The only threat China is to the west, is it’s economy is huge and rich, all thanks to Western companies money being invested there because they can have stuff made cheap, because pesky human and workers rights don’t get in the way of costs, ergo the Western companies make bigger profits and share holders get bigger dividends.

India is exactly the same, no human or workers rights so Western companies can have stuff made for peanuts and the huge wealth at the expense of the lives of the workers continues.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hastings101 Avatar
38 months ago
Should really just add all of China to that “unverified” list. India has all the advantages of China without being a threat to Western society.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OS X Dude Avatar
38 months ago
It's better, though, as Samsung's flash storage is the best in the business. I remember years ago when it was a lottery as to whether your MacBook Air had either a Toshiba or Samsung SSD, and people here were literally returning several units to try and get the Samsung variant.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiiDSmoker Avatar
38 months ago

When it comes to electronics. Samsung have their fingers in everything. Even Apple can't escape!
Seems apt. Apple can’t quit Samsung.

Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpotOnT Avatar
38 months ago

Interesting how Samsung is pushing to manufacture in China and they then get orders from apple because US is trying to lean off China.
That is because it isn’t about using cheap Chinese labour, it is about transfer of technology. The US government doesn’t care who assembles the parts, they care about the Chinese government getting the design plans for the parts.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)