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 see the South Korean chipmaker 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 decisions have been made, and other arrangements remain possible.

SK Hynix supplies Apple with memory alongside Samsung and Micron. The discussions come as AI infrastructure spending puts pressure on the supply of memory for consumer devices, including iPhones and Macs. Chipmakers have been directing more production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI processors, leaving smartphone and computer manufacturers competing for available supplies.

In February, Apple reportedly agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for memory chips needed for iPhone 17 production. More recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was reducing its 2026 hardware shipment plans because of DRAM shortages, with supply constraints also affecting the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air.

It remains unclear which types of memory SK Hynix would manufacture under a potential agreement with Intel. Its products include DRAM used in smartphones, computers, and servers, NAND flash storage, and HBM for AI processors. The report does not mention 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. That project will package DRAM wafers manufactured in South Korea into HBM chips, rather than fabricate the wafers domestically.
This article, "Apple Memory Supplier Explores U.S. Manufacturing With Intel" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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SK Hynix confirmed it is exploring various options to strengthen its global competitiveness, while pushing back on a press report about a potential tie-up with Intel in the US.

The South Korean chip giant issued a statement in response to a Reuters article claiming it had held discussions with Intel about a deal to make memory chips in the US for the first time.

SK Hynix pointed to two other possible scenarios mentioned in the article speculating it could lease part of a long-planned Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility in the US state of Ohio; and referring to the possible formation of a joint venture involving the chip players and major cloud companies.

“No decisions have been made regarding the two scenarios mentioned in this article.”

While SK Hynix indicated it is mulling how to boost its global presence, it added no specific plans or arrangements have been made.

“We would like to clarify that nothing has been finalised regarding cooperation with any specific companies mentioned in the article or memory chip production in the US.”

SK Hynix listed its shares in the US earlier this year, raising more than $26 billion in an IPO as investors seek to tap the AI boom.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in July SK Hynix should up efforts to expand memory production in the country to address a shortage.

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