[Korean Media: Apple’s Request for Price Reduction Rejected by ChangXin Memory, Samsung and SK Hynix Strengthen DRAM Bargaining Power] BlockBeats News, August 5, according to South Korea’s *Digital Daily*, Apple recently negotiated with ChangXin Memory over the supply price of LPDDR5X and other mobile DRAMs to reduce costs for the next-generation iPhone and smart devices. However, its request for further price reductions was rejected. ChangXin Memory reportedly insists on offering prices similar to or even higher than those of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi are securing ChangXin Memory’s production capacity in advance through high-priced long-term contracts, allowing it to avoid accepting lower prices to compete for Apple’s orders. As DRAM supply tightens, the global strategy of terminal manufacturers leveraging low-cost Chinese components to reduce procurement costs is failing. With major memory manufacturers shifting more capacity to HBM, the production capacity for general-purpose DRAMs like DDR5 and LPDDR5X has decreased, leading to continuous price increases for related products. ChangXin Memory’s absorption of a large portion of China’s general-purpose DRAM demand has also alleviated the pressure on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to handle low-cost products. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are focusing their resources on high-value-added AI storage products such as HBM4, LPCAMM2, and enterprise-grade SSDs. They are gaining stronger bargaining power in long-term price negotiations with major global tech companies in the second half of the year. [Original Link]