In temporary: According to Shanghai-based analysis firm Cinno, Apple is the world’s largest client of 3D NAND. The iPhone maker makes its personal storage controllers. However, latest disruptions within the tech provide chain have prompted the corporate to search for various suppliers of 3D NAND reminiscence for lower-end iPhones.
Apple is reportedly contemplating various suppliers of NAND reminiscence for the iPhone to diversify its provide chain and create extra resilience when confronted with surprising disruptions.
Bloomberg notes that the Cupertino large is exploring partnerships with Micron Technology, Samsung Electronics, and Yangtze Memory Technology Co. (YMTC). The hunt for added suppliers appears to be motivated by classes realized through the pandemic and a latest incident affecting Western Digital and Kioxia NAND fabs in Japan.
The incident, brought on by contamination points at important levels within the manufacturing pipeline, resulted within the lack of over 6.5 exabytes of superior 3D NAND. Apple designs its personal storage controllers for all of its units however will depend on a gradual provide of NAND from firms like Kioxia and SK Hynix.
China’s YMTC can be an attention-grabbing selection, as the corporate is the one Chinese producer able to making 128-layer 3D NAND reminiscence. Discussions are reportedly within the early levels, but when an settlement is reached, YMTC will provide round 5 % of 3D NAND orders for the iPhone SE and three to 5 % of the NAND wanted for the upcoming iPhone 14.
Such a partnership would assist China transfer one step nearer to creating a strong native ecosystem for superior semiconductors, one that would permit the nation to attain technological self-sufficiency over the subsequent decade. Adding Apple to YMTC’s record of shoppers will depend on whether or not or not it could possibly assure a gradual, reliable quantity of chips for the iPhone tech large. The monetary advantages are laborious to disregard in an trade the place analysis and improvement prices are rising.
