Apple's new chief executive says the company is willing to rethink where it gets memory chips.
John Ternus told TIME that "all options should be on the table" on memory. The comment follows reports that Apple tested Chinese-made memory. Ternus took over as CEO on September 1, and the interview ties into TIME's 2026 Best Inventions issue, which puts him on the cover and features the iPhone Duo. He also acknowledged that constraints in memory are a serious problem for the company.
The quote is short, but the context makes it notable. Apple is known for tightly managed supply chains, and memory goes into every phone, tablet and laptop it sells. The market for that memory has long been dominated by a small group of suppliers, mostly South Korean and American. When supply tightens, a buyer even of Apple's size has limited places to turn.
The phrase "all options" can be read two ways. It could be a real signal that Apple will qualify new suppliers, including Chinese ones. It could also be leverage, a reminder to existing suppliers that Apple has alternatives. Testing a part is not the same as shipping it, and the reports describe testing only.
The politics add friction. Chinese-made chips in flagship products invite scrutiny from US officials, and a company this visible would have to weigh that against its supply problem. Whether Ternus is willing to pay that price, or just wants suppliers to believe he is, is the question his first months in the job may answer.