NAND flash contract prices have stopped rising in the second half of January 2011, according to DRAMeXchange. The price tracker pointed to several factors that are keeping quotes unchanged.
Most memory card makers completed restocking their inventory before mid-January, and therefore are still hesitating to purchase chips as retail sales for flash cards and drives have not retained growth momentum, DRAMeXchange indicated.
However, NAND flash demand for system products such as smartphones and tablets is actually growing, DRAMeXchange noted. The segment has helped sustain chip prices.
DRAMeXchange predicted that contract quotes for mainstream NAND chips may fall after the Lunar New Year holidays as the consumer electronics sector enters the off season. But strong smartphone and tablet sales could bring changes.
Late January contract prices for 16Gb and 32Gb parts averaged US$3.56 and US$5.38, respectively, according to DRAMeXchange. Meanwhile, prices for 32Gb 3-bit per cell MLC parts were flat at US$4.30.
