- About Us
-
Research Report
Semiconductors
LED
Consumer Electronics
Emerging Technologies
- Selected Topics
- Membership
- Price Trends
- Press Center
- News
- Events
- AI Agent
AI demand drives a 1Q26 seller's market. Capacity shifts to servers cause shortages. DRAM and NAND Flash prices rise broadly despite weak consumer demand.
NAND Flash prices are rising due to tight supply. Micron reported significant revenue and margin growth driven by robust AI and data center demand. Future focus remains on high-capacity QLC and enterprise SSDs to optimize profitability through high-margin applications.
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.
Research Areas:
Industry News
