Apple Memory Supplier Explores U.S. Manufacturing With Intel
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.SK Hynix, a key memory supplier for Apple, is in exploratory talks with Intel to manufacture memory chips in the U.S., potentially via leasing space at Intel's Ohio complex or forming a joint venture. This move aims to secure supply amid AI-driven demand pressures and DRAM shortages affecting Apple devices like iPhones and Macs. No final decisions have been made.
One option would see the South Korean chipmaker lease part of Intel's planned manufacturing complex in Ohio. Another would involve a joint venture with Intel and major cloud providers seeking to secure memory supplies, people familiar with the discussions said. No decisions have been made, and other arrangements remain possible.
SK Hynix supplies Apple with memory alongside Samsung and Micron. The discussions come as AI infrastructure spending puts pressure on the supply of memory for consumer devices, including iPhones and Macs. Chipmakers have been directing more production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI processors, leaving smartphone and computer manufacturers competing for available supplies.
In February, Apple reportedly agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for memory chips needed for iPhone 17 production. More recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was reducing its 2026 hardware shipment plans because of DRAM shortages, with supply constraints also affecting the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air.
It remains unclear which types of memory SK Hynix would manufacture under a potential agreement with Intel. Its products include DRAM used in smartphones, computers, and servers, NAND flash storage, and HBM for AI processors. The report does not mention whether a U.S. facility would produce memory for Apple devices.
SK Hynix already has an advanced packaging facility under construction in West Lafayette, Indiana. That project will package DRAM wafers manufactured in South Korea into HBM chips, rather than fabricate the wafers domestically.
Tags: Intel, United States
This article, "Apple Memory Supplier Explores U.S. Manufacturing With Intel" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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