ChangXin Memory Declines Apple DRAM Quotation, Prioritizes Domestic Market
On October 26, ChangXin Memory recently declined to quote for DRAM supply to Apple, prioritizing demand from China's domestic market, according to supply chain sources. The company had not officially responded as of press time.
This is not the first time ChangXin has turned down Apple. In August 2026, Apple sought to negotiate prices for mobile DRAM such as LPDDR5X with ChangXin to ease cost pressure on next-generation iPhones and other devices, but its demand for price cuts was rejected. ChangXin's quoted prices were reportedly higher than or close to those of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
Market observers believe ChangXin is not abandoning overseas markets, but rather its capacity is already fully booked by long-term orders from domestic terminal makers, giving local demand higher priority. Huang Maoyuan, an analyst at Yole, said meeting domestic DRAM demand alone is a decade-long effort, and if achieved, domestic manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi could reduce their reliance on overseas memory suppliers.
ChangXin is accelerating product and capacity expansion. In September 2026, its self-developed LPDDR6 chips entered mass production and were first adopted in Xiaomi's 18 Fold foldable flagship smartphone, marking the first commercial deployment of LPDDR6 in a flagship phone globally. By revenue, ChangXin captured a 10% share of the global DRAM market in the second quarter of 2026, ranking fourth and doubling from 4% a year earlier. The company also plans to build an NAND flash R&D line at a new Beijing plant.
The company listed on the STAR Market in July 2026, posting first-half revenue of RMB 150.31 billion, up 873.64% year over year, with net profit of RMB 77.61 billion, returning to profitability. Neil Shah, research vice president at Counterpoint Research, said market competition will continue to be affected by capacity allocation and long-term agreement pricing. In the second half of 2026, a key focus is how ChangXin expands HBM and LPDDR6 capacity. If it can increase output to meet both domestic and overseas demand, its market share could rise further, potentially reshaping the global DRAM landscape.
