Upcoming quarterly contract prices keep rising on higher wafer costs and stronger buying. Spot prices stay firm amid tight supply. Smartphone NAND Flash sees upward pricing and narrowing regional gaps as supply‑demand stays imbalanced. Together with DRAM hikes, this pressures Android brands’ costs and structurally squeezes low‑ to mid‑tier models.
Memory price surge continues into 1Q26, pushing BOM cost to a critical point. Brands freeze price cuts and downsize specifications, facing severe sales challenges.
The Japanese earthquake left Kioxia’s Kitakami operations unaffected. With competitors prioritizing DRAM due to the AI boom, limiting NAND Flash expansion, Kioxia’s K2 plant becomes pivotal. possessing ample clean room space and a steady next-gen roadmap, K2 remains a key strategic asset for future market share expansion.
Severe shortages are driving a surge in NAND Flash prices and panic buying across contract and spot markets. Meanwhile, YMTC is aggressively expanding capacity, advancing technology, and planning an IPO and DRAM entry. This rapid growth is expected to boost its market share significantly, reshaping the global landscape.
Driven by booming AI inference demand and HDD shortages, orders are shifting to high-capacity Enterprise SSDs. With manufacturers maintaining conservative expansion, supply cannot meet the explosive demand. This severe shortage is triggering sharp price hikes across the board, significantly boosting revenue.
Soaring memory prices increase system costs and retail prices, hurting the consumer market. TrendForce thus lowered 2026 shipment forecasts for smartphones, notebooks, and game consoles. Game console makers may abandon price cuts due to costs, shifting to high-price, profit-preserving strategies.
Due to tight supply and strong AI and enterprise SSD demand, NAND Flash wafer prices surged in November. Contract prices for some products rose significantly, with the uptrend likely to continue into December as enterprise demand dominates, despite limited consumer recovery.
Suppliers keep reducing SLC and MLC output while telecom and automotive demand stays strong, resulting in continued NAND Flash contract price rises. MLC sees higher increases; SLC demand is stable. Tight supply is expected to persist, keeping prices upward in the short term.
The Enterprise SSD market saw a strong 3Q25 recovery, with prices and volumes rising due to AI inference and server build-out. Cautious supply combined with explosive demand for ultra-large capacity products is leading to 4Q25 shortages, significant price hikes, and a scramble for materials.
The NAND Flash industry saw Q3 revenue growth driven by strong enterprise SSD demand from AI servers. ASP rose due to production cuts and higher enterprise SSD mix. For Q4, AI applications and HDD shortages will sustain price increases across segments, leading to further revenue growth and improved vendor profitability.