Apple keeps Chinese memory chips firmly under consideration
Chief executive John Ternus keeps all options open as US senators warn of security risks.
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Apple has not ruled out using Chinese memory chips. Chief executive John Ternus calls the global memory shortage a crisis, while US senators previously urged the company not to use chips from Chinese producers.
Ternus told TIME in an interview that the memory shortages constitute a crisis for Apple. Asked about reports that Apple is testing Chinese memory chips, he said that, in Apple’s view, all options must remain on the table. He did not thereby confirm that Apple has already chosen a supplier or is using the chips commercially in its products.
The discussion centres mainly on ChangXin Memory Technologies, or CXMT for short. According to earlier reports, Apple tested DRAM chips from the Chinese company for possible use in devices. Yangtze Memory Technologies has also been mentioned. Apple has not publicly confirmed that either company will become a definitive supplier.
US senators Charles Schumer, Jim Banks and others wrote to Apple in July saying they were concerned about the possible tests. In their letter, they describe CXMT and YMTC as Chinese military companies according to US assessments and ask Apple not to use memory chips from these companies in its products.
For Apple, the issue has become more commercially attractive because of strong demand for memory for AI data centres. That demand has put pressure on availability for consumer electronics. Apple wants to secure additional supply, but may thereby face US export rules, political pressure and concerns about dependence on Chinese suppliers.
Ternus’s latest statement does not make a choice any more concrete, but it does make the issue more visible. Apple says supply security carries considerable weight; US politicians emphasise strategic dependence. Until Apple publishes a formal decision, it is incorrect to write that Chinese memory chips are already being used in iPhones or Macs.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Apple says the memory shortage is serious.
- There are reports of tests involving Chinese DRAM chips.
- US senators warn of national security risks.
- Apple has not confirmed any definitive commercial procurement.
Left
Arguments Apple should choose suppliers based on availability, price, and labour and environmental standards, not geopolitical pressure alone. At the same time, strategic chip production deserves public support so that companies do not become trapped between great powers.
Values Affordability, open trade and public investment.
Consequences A ban could raise prices and shortages for consumers, but could also stimulate domestic production.
Centre
Arguments Apple should be transparent about testing, origins and security, and diversify its suppliers. The government can regulate critical components, but must apply clear and predictable criteria.
Values Resilience, transparency and proportionate regulation.
Consequences Controlled approval could limit shortages, while targeted restrictions would keep risks manageable.
Right
Arguments A US technology company should not become dependent on a Chinese manufacturer that Washington has designated a security risk. Short-term savings do not outweigh the loss of control over a strategic production chain.
Values National security, economic independence and competitiveness.
Consequences A hard exclusion could prove more costly for Apple, but this view holds that it would protect the Western chip industry.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Ternus’s current statement and the US political objections can be found directly in the sources. The article clearly distinguishes between testing, considering and actually purchasing.
- confirmed Apple CEO John Ternus calls memory shortages a crisis. — TIME quotes Ternus saying this. source
- confirmed Ternus says that all options are on the table. — The statement appears in the TIME interview. source
- confirmed US senators asked Apple not to use Chinese memory chips. — The letter to Apple contains that request. source
- incorrect Apple already uses Chinese memory chips in iPhones and Macs. — The sources refer to testing and possible procurement, not confirmed use. source
Editor's note
Ternus confirmed that all options remain open, but not that Apple uses Chinese chips. The tests are based on earlier reports and not on a public Apple decision.Sources
- John Ternus Is Engineering a New Era for Apple — TIME
- Letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook re PRC Memory Producers — Amerikaanse Senaat
- Apple Begins Testing Controversial Chinese Memory Chips — MacRumors
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „apple geheugenchips”
- FD — „apple geheugenchips”
- Trouw — „apple geheugenchips”