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DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, reports that client-grade SSDs of mainstream capacities continue to see rising contract prices in the PC-OEM market during this first quarter. On average, contract prices of MLC-based client-grade SSDs are projected to go up by 12~16% compared with the fourth quarter of last year, while prices of TLC-based products are expected to increase by 10~16% sequentially. Looking ahead to the second quarter, end device sales are anticipated to be relatively flat. Furthermore, PC-OEMs are reaching their limits on SSD costs. While the average prices of mainstream client-grade SSDs will keep climbing, the increase in the second quarter will likely be more moderate.
In the fourth quarter of 2016, the NAND Flash market was at its most severe phase of shortage for the year while shipments in the end device markets were robust. Consequently, average sales prices (ASPs) of NAND Flash products rose significantly, and the fourth-quarter global NAND Flash revenue registered a large sequential increase of 17.8% even with the strong third-quarter result as the base. NAND Flash suppliers made a strong finish to 2016 as their profits also peaked in the final quarter.
The markets for key components used in smartphones have experienced rising prices since the second half of 2016 because of tightening supply. TrendForce’s latest analyses indicate that prices of mobile DRAM, mobile NAND Flash products and AMOLED panels will continue to climb through 2017. As smartphone brands will be raising hardware specifications of their products, they are also revealing their intentions to build up their inventories in advance. High prices of AMOLED panels and memory components during this entire year will constrain smartphone makers’ ability to attain greater profits.
The global supply of 2D-NAND Flash will remain tight going into the second quarter of 2017, according to the latest analysis from DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. Also, major smartphone brands will soon begin their first wave of new product release for the year after the Mobile World Congress in Spain. With the NAND Flash supply still under strain, DRAMeXchange forecasts that contract prices of both SSDs and eMMCs will see a more moderate sequential price hike of 5~10% in the second quarter.
The next major iPhone release will certainly be one of the most anticipated events in the global consumer electronics market in the second half of 2017. TrendForce’s recent findings on the 10th anniversary iPhone release reveal that Apple’s latest refresh of the device series will include three new models, with one of them having significant hardware and design upgrades such as an AMOLED display.
