Apple's DRAM Price Cut Request Rejected by Changxin Memory on August 5; Samsung, SK Hynix Gain Negotiating Power

According to Digital Daily on August 5, Apple's request for lower prices on LPDDR5X mobile DRAM from Changxin Memory was rejected. Changxin Memory maintained pricing comparable to or higher than Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, refusing further concessions.

Chinese manufacturers including Huawei and Xiaomi secured Changxin's production capacity through long-term premium contracts, reducing the chipmaker's need to cut prices for Apple orders. As major memory suppliers shift capacity toward HBM, global smartphone makers' strategy of using low-cost Chinese components to pressure prices has weakened. Samsung and SK Hynix are concentrating resources on high-margin AI storage products like HBM4 and enterprise SSDs, strengthening their pricing power in H2 negotiations with major tech companies.