China’s CXMT Is Getting Ready To Make History As LPDDR6 RAM Mass Production Scheduled To Happen In September; One Hint Reveals Limitations In Total Output

Xiaomi’s XRING 03 was previously reported to be the first smartphone chipset to have support for LPDDR6 RAM thanks to the Chinese firm’s partnership with CXMT. Now, it appears that there’s no stopping the momentum of the memory maker because mass production of the next-generation DRAM is expected to start next month. However, while CXMT has the upper hand over Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron, volume production isn’t going to be its strong suit.

Based on CXMT’s teaser, LPDDR6 RAM will be reserved for Xiaomi 18 Fold, which isn’t expected to ship even 500,000 units, hinting at a low-volume partnership between the two companies

CXMT’s efforts to accelerate mass production of LPDDR6 RAM chips enable it to secure early design wins with major domestic smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi and Huawei. Even with the Chinese manufacturer on the U.S. entity list, its ability to outpace substantially larger rivals will undoubtedly catch the attention of overseas customers, and they’ll also want a piece of this technology as they race to market with their products.

Then again, as much as we’re excited to witness competition from all angles, it’s time to observe a more realistic approach. If you take a look at the teaser image below, LPDDR6 RAM will exclusively be reserved for the Xiaomi 18 Fold, the smartphone maker’s upcoming wide-folding handset expected to take on the iPhone Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold8.

Given the complexities that accompany the manufacturing process of these smartphones, it’s likely that Xiaomi won’t order massive batches. In fact, a report from The Next Web estimates that the XRING 03 isn’t expected to cross 300,000 units in overall shipments. The lack of these wide-folding models hints at a deeper problem that’s related to the manufacturing aspect, and we can only conclude that the bottleneck would materialize from CXMT’s end.

After all, XRING 03’s older 3nm “N3P” process means Xiaomi won’t struggle with placing orders, but mass manufacturing LPDDR6 DRAM chips in substantial quantities could prove to be a hurdle. Assuming that’s the case, why can’t the Xiaomi 18 Fold ship with LPDDR5X RAM instead of LPDDR6 RAM? With this Chinese smartphone giant expected to stamp this foldable flagship with a hefty price, it likely wants to make the purchase worthwhile.

The manufacturing difficulties faced by CXMT for LPDDR6 memory stem from stringent U.S. trade restrictions, preventing the company from boosting production while maintaining respectable yields. Like Huawei, CXMT has little choice but to leverage legacy Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) machinery with complex multi-patterning techniques, increasing costs and lowering yields.

While outpacing the likes of Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron in next-generation DRAM is certainly a feat for the ages, CXMT’s real test will arrive in raising production, and that’s where we’ll likely see the big three close the gap quickly.

News Source: Weibo

About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.

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