Supply chain says Apple iPhone will use Samsung NAND flash memory chip

CTOnews.com, Nov. 21, according to DigiTimes, Apple will turn to Samsung to buy NAND flash memory chips used in iPhone.

According to supply chain sources quoted in the report, due to some restrictions, Apple will start using Samsung Electronics as an alternative supplier from 2023. This suggests that they will be used in the iPhone 15 series, but it is also possible for Apple to introduce them into the production of the iPhone 14 series.

Samsung, which has long been a major supplier of DRAM chips for iPhone phones, will start supplying NAND flash memory to iOS devices from its factory in Xi'an, China, which currently contributes 40% of Samsung's 3D NAND flash memory production, with layers ranging from 128to 176layers, according to sources.

CTOnews.com learned that, unlike its competitors, Samsung did not cut production in response to sluggish demand in the NAND flash market, which may be due in part to its entry into Apple's supply chain. In addition, Samsung is thought to be able to afford price cuts and production increases, which will further enhance its competitiveness.

Samsung has been supplying parts for the iPhone. For example, Samsung made early processors for the iPhone and iPad, RAM memory for various Apple models over the past 20 years, and screen panels for the iPhone 14 Pro. Samsung was an early supplier of original iPhone flash memory, but was replaced by South Korea's SK Hynix around 2011 or 2012, from which Apple has purchased flash memory for more than 20 years.