Apple has reportedly approved 3D NAND flash manufactured by Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp., which it plans to use in its upcoming iPhone 14 smartphones. The move is a strong win for his YMTC and will ensure a steady supply of flash memory for Apple’s next-generation products.
For now, it is reported that Yangtze Memory will supply Apple 3D NAND for the upcoming iPhone 14 handsets. business koreaSince smartphones are Apple’s most popular product, Apple needs large amounts of DRAM and NAND for smartphones. Ultimately, though, Apple may use his YMTC memory for other products. YMTC, for example, has launched very competitive products such as the company’s latest family of 6-plane 3D NAND chips featuring his Xtacking 3.0 architecture and interface speeds of 2400 MT/s. These chips may finally deliver some of the best of his SSDs.
It will take some time for YMTC’s latest product to mature and be incorporated into Apple’s other offerings. However, given the specs the company’s latest 3D NAND device offers and Apple’s expertise with his 3D NAND and controllers, YMTC could end up on iPads and Macs eventually.
As one of the world’s largest consumers of 3D NAND flash, Apple tends to source memory from a variety of vendors including Kioxia, Samsung and SK Hynix. Adding YMTC to the supply chain not only gives Apple more choice in terms of features and performance, as many products offered by the four manufacturers are more or less identical, but it also reduces pricing. It means having a better position to negotiate.
From YMTC’s standpoint, getting a supply deal with Apple is a big deal, given that so far the company has mostly shipped 3D NAND and solid-state drives to Chinese vendors.
