Apple has “quietly” suspended plans to purchase 128-layer NAND flash from Chinese supplier Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) for iPhones targeting the China market, and reportedly will have Samsung Electronics as the alternative supplier starting next year, according to DigiTimes.
Last month it was reported that Apple has frozen plans to use memory chips from YMTC amid political pressure. An article from Nikkei Asia said “the move comes amid the latest round of U.S. export controls imposed against the Chinese tech sector and is a sign that Washington’s crackdown is creating a chilling effect down the supply chain.”
Nikkei Asia says Apple intended to buy 128-layer 3D NAND flash memory chips from 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.
