[News] Apple Said to Have Signed NAND LTA with Kioxia Seen as Likely Partner; Foldable iPhone Memory Suppliers in Focus
Ahead of Apple’s product launch event later this week, memory is back in the spotlight as surging prices put the company’s sourcing strategy under close watch. South Korean media outlet Economy Tribune reports that Apple has recently turned to a long-term supply agreement (LTA) for NAND, marking a notable shift for a company known for its purchasing power.
Multi-year LTAs have traditionally been concentrated on HBM, making Apple’s move into NAND particularly noteworthy, the report adds. While the counterparty, volume, and pricing terms remain undisclosed, market watchers cited by the report have identified Japan’s Kioxia, one of Apple’s key NAND suppliers, as the likely partner.
Apple’s NAND LTA Could Ripple Into Mobile DRAM
As highlighted by the report, the market is now watching whether Apple will extend its long-term contracting strategy to mobile DRAM (LPDDR) following the NAND deal. With supply tightening even for commodity memory amid rising demand for HBM and server DRAM, Apple could potentially sign additional LTAs with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Micron for future iPhone LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 supplies, the report suggests.
Such a move would also align with a broader shift among memory makers toward long-term supply agreements as they seek greater visibility into future demand. Samsung, for example, plans to cover 60% to 70% of its total production capacity with long-term contracts while retaining flexibility in production, according to Chosun Biz.
No-Price-Cap LTA Structure Draws Attention
Against this backdrop, the reported Apple deal could go beyond a typical supply contract, with Economy Tribune reporting market speculation of a three- to five-year term without a price cap. If confirmed, Kioxia would join SK hynix among the few major memory suppliers known to have adopted such an LTA structure.
According to a July Green Economy report, SK hynix’s structure allows contract prices to fully reflect spot-market increases when supply shortages drive market prices higher.
Apple’s First Foldable: South Korean Memory Makers Poised to Benefit
Apple’s shift toward long-term, less price-protected contracts comes as memory costs are also emerging as a key cost driver for its most premium device yet — the upcoming foldable iPhone. Another SeDaily report sheds light on the memory supply chain for Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Ultra, suggesting that South Korean memory makers could emerge as major beneficiaries.
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are expected to jointly supply 70% of the iPhone Ultra’s 12GB LPDDR5 DRAM, with Samsung accounting for 37% and SK hynix 33%, while the remaining 30% is supplied by U.S.-based Micron, according to the report. The two South Korean suppliers are also expected to command a combined 45% of the foldable’s NAND supply, with SK hynix holding a 30% share and Samsung 15%, the report adds.
The surge in memory prices is also likely to add to Apple’s pricing pressure. TrendForce projects memory costs for the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro model to be nearly 400% higher in 3Q26 than a year earlier. Against this backdrop, prices for new models are expected to rise by around 10–20%, with Apple absorbing part of the higher costs to help preserve market share.
For the highly anticipated iPhone 18 Fold, TrendForce estimates a starting price of US$2,099–2,299, with top-end configurations potentially exceeding US$3,000.
Read more
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(Photo credit: iFunSmart)
