Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's largest DRAM maker, is expanding its front beyond PC DRAM into mobile DRAM. Taking advantage of AI-driven memory shortages, it has entered the supply chains of global PC makers such as HP and Acer, and Apple is also said to be testing CXMT products. As CXMT, which had focused on China's domestic market and PC DRAM, expands its lineup to low-power DRAM for smartphones, the scope of competition with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix is also widening.
According to industry sources and foreign media including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 13th, Apple is testing CXMT DRAM for the iPhone and MacBook and is holding initial talks to supply parts. It is reportedly reviewing applying CXMT memory first to some products sold in China. PC makers such as HP and Acer have already begun using CXMT DRAM in some products sold outside the United States.
CXMT's entry into the global market has been influenced by the recent memory shortage. As the three DRAM companies—Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron—concentrate production capacity on high-value AI products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and server DRAM, supplies of DRAM for PCs and smartphones have also tightened. As global manufacturers diversify suppliers to secure volumes, CXMT has gained an opening to land global customers.
Until earlier this year, global PC makers were only in the stage of verifying CXMT products. On Feb. 2, HP and Dell conducted quality certification for CXMT DRAM, and Acer and Asus also reviewed procuring Chinese memory. In just half a year, as some companies began installing CXMT DRAM in actual products, the supply crunch effectively accelerated CXMT's entry into the global market.
What stands out is that CXMT's chase does not stop at PC DRAM. While advancing its products from DDR4 to DDR5, CXMT also expanded its lineup to LPDDR5X, a low-power DRAM used in smartphones. As it secures global PC customers, it has also begun eyeing the mobile DRAM market led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
Reports about LPDDR6, the next-generation mobile DRAM, are also emerging in China's IT industry. CXMT is said to have developed LPDDR6 with speeds up to 12.8 Gbps and provided engineering samples to some customers, preparing for mass production in the second half of this year. However, because CXMT has not officially disclosed whether it is developing LPDDR6 or its mass production plans, the actual stage of development has not been confirmed.
However, a technology gap with domestic companies still exists. In particular, for mobile DRAM, not only data processing speed but also power efficiency, heat, and Production yield are important, and it must also pass the stringent quality certifications of smartphone manufacturers. U.S. semiconductor restrictions on China also constrain CXMT's transition to advanced processes and the expansion of its global customers.
There is an assessment that CXMT's threat is no longer limited to low-cost commodity DRAM. Spurred by the memory shortage, it entered the supply chains of global PC makers and, by upgrading its lineup to DDR5 and LPDDR5X, is expanding the competitive arena from PCs to mobile. If it secures customer qualifications and mass production stability in mobile DRAM going forward, the front where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix face Chinese companies is expected to expand from commodity PC DRAM to high-performance, low-power DRAM for smartphones.