Apple memory supplier SK Hynix is in exploratory talks with Intel about manufacturing memory chips in the United States for the first time, according to Reuters.
One option would be for the South Korean chipmaker to lease part of Intel’s planned manufacturing complex in Ohio. Another would involve a joint venture with Intel and major cloud providers seeking to secure memory supplies, people familiar with the discussions said. No decision has been made and other arrangements remain possible.
SK Hynix supplies memory to Apple alongside Samsung and Micron. The discussions come as spending on AI infrastructure puts pressure on memory supply for consumer devices, including iPhones and Macs. Chipmakers have shifted more of their production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI processors, leaving smartphone and computer makers to fight for available supplies.
In February, Apple reportedly agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for the memory chips needed to produce the iPhone 17. More recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was scaling back its hardware delivery plans for 2026 due to DRAM shortages, with supply constraints also affecting the Mac Studio, Mac mini and MacBook Air.
It’s still unclear what types of memory SK Hynix would make under a possible deal with Intel. Its products include DRAM used in smartphones, computers and servers, NAND flash storage and HBM for AI processors. The report did not specify whether a U.S. facility would produce memory for Apple devices.
SK Hynix already has an advanced packaging facility under construction in West Lafayette, Indiana. This project will involve packaging DRAM wafers made in South Korea into HBM chips, rather than manufacturing the wafers domestically.
