Qualcomm Building Its Own Custom DRAM with a Chinese Memory Maker

The world is currently facing a memory crisis as more memory makers are prioritizing producing memory for AI data centers than for consumer devices. This means that it affects devices like computers, tablets, and our phones. But it seems that Qualcomm might have found a solution by developing custom DRAM with China’s CXMT.

Qualcomm developing custom DRAM

According to South Korean outlet JoongAng Ilbo, Qualcomm and CXMT are jointly developing memory chips built specifically for mobile phones. CXMT, known formally as ChangXin Memory Technologies, is China’s fourth-largest DRAM maker. No specs or timelines have been confirmed, but given its intended use in smartphones, the Qualcomm custom DRAM is most likely an LPDDR-type mobile chip. Qualcomm declined to comment when JoongAng Ilbo reached out.

The two companies weren’t strangers before this report. During Qualcomm’s Q1 FY2026 earnings call in February, CFO Akash Palkhiwala confirmed that Qualcomm had already qualified CXMT as a memory supplier. He noted that Qualcomm’s platforms support multiple memory generations. This gave the company flexibility to work with whatever supply is available. A jointly developed chip is a bigger step, but the foundation was already in place.

Why does this matter?

The memory crunch is already changing what phones look like and what they cost. Xiaomi reportedly considered skipping Qualcomm’s top Snapdragon chip for its next flagship purely because of memory costs. Budget and mid-range phones are getting hit hardest. They have less room to absorb rising component prices without cutting specs or raising retail prices.

Qualcomm getting custom DRAM from CXMT would give Android manufacturers another memory option. Right now, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are all steering production toward high-margin HBM chips for AI servers. CXMT already produces LPDDR5X memory that reportedly covers around 30% of the Chinese smartphone market, so the capacity is there.

The main limitation is geography. Chinese OEMs like Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi would likely benefit first given the shared home market. Whether this reaches phones sold outside China depends on export restrictions and a broader chip supply picture that’s already complicated. However, having another supplier in the mix would be a relief for an industry that desperately needs more options right now.

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