Apple is reportedly exploring a potential partnership with Chinese memory chip manufacturers Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) to secure more favorable supply terms. This move comes amid aggressive negotiation tactics from major suppliers, including the "big three" DRAM producers-Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron-as well as NAND provider KIOXIA, who are pushing for significant price increases and quarterly pricing adjustments. Apple has already locked in NAND supply through Q1 2026 and DRAM through the first half of 2026, but faces impending hikes, such as KIOXIA doubling prices for the current quarter. The strategy aims to leverage Chinese alternatives for better contracts and avoid margin erosion on future iPhone models, like the iPhone 18 lineup. Chinese firms like CXMT are advancing rapidly, with plans to mass-produce HBM3 chips, though they trail the global leaders technologically, particularly in DRAM. The approach carries risks, as YMTC and CXMT were briefly added to the Pentagon's restricted companies list on February 13, 2026, before being removed. Analyst insights and supply chain reports suggest this is a high-stakes play to counter supplier leverage in a constrained memory market.