NAND flash prices drop 20% following lackluster demand from Apple, others
Contract prices for NAND flash -- the solid-state memory found in devices like the iPhone and iPad -- is said to have fallen "rapidly" in May following lackluster demand from major purchasers like Apple.
Chip prices for NAND declined more than 15 percent, and about 20 percent in the spot market, in May following "lackluster demand," according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. Apple remains the largest buyer of NAND flash, but demand did not pick up "as aggressively as usual in the second quarter," the report said.
In addition to Apple, other vendors are also said to be slowing orders for NAND flash. Sales of USB drives and memory cards were reportedly "stagnant" in the month of May. The average price for a 32 gigabit multi-level cell NAND chip was down 15.8 percent in May to $4.85. A 16 gigabit cell dropped 11.4 percent to $3.12, while 64 gigabit parts are $9.39.
