CXMT refuses Apple’s request for lower LPDDR5X pricing, demanding Samsung-level rates

Apple, a company famous for squeezing suppliers until they beg for mercy, just got told “no” by a Chinese chipmaker. Changxin Memory Technologies, better known as CXMT, rejected Apple’s request for discounted LPDDR5X memory pricing, instead demanding rates on par with Samsung and SK Hynix. Here’s the thing: Apple wasn’t coming to CXMT out of generosity. It was coming out of desperation. The three companies that dominate the DRAM market, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, have been pivoting hard toward high-bandwidth memory for AI applications, leaving mobile DRAM supply tighter and prices significantly higher. The pricing squeeze Apple can’t escape CXMT holds roughly 8% of the global DRAM market as of Q1 2026. That’s not nothing, but it’s still a fraction of what the big three control. The company has recently begun mass-producing LPDDR5X memory with speeds up to 8533Mbps and capacities ranging from 12GB to 32GB. Those are flagship-tier specs, the kind Apple needs for its next-generation iPhones and iPads. Pricing for 12GB LPDDR5X chips has reportedly surged to around $145, driven largely by the insatiable appetite for memory in AI workloads. CXMT, rather than accepting the role of bud...