NAND flash memory sees 4 percent price drop

NAND flash memory prices declined 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to slowed demand.

SK hynix' 321-layered NAND flash memory chip [SK HYNIX]

The average selling price of NAND flash memory chips dropped in the fourth quarter of last year as the PC and mobile market's slowdown prolonged, according to TrendForce.

The cost of memory chips fell 4 percent in the last three months of 2024 from the previous quarter, according to the market tracker. As PC and smartphone manufacturers continued to clear out inventory, leading to supply chain adjustments, the NAND market faced downward pressure during the period, TrendForce said.

The prices and sales of the memory chips were forecast to spiral down until the first half of this year before production cuts take effect.

NAND sales by manufacturers including Samsung, SK Group, Kioxia, Micron Technology and Western Digital dropped by 6.2 percent in the fourth quarter of last year to $16.5 billion compared to the previous quarter, according to the data.

Samsung Electronics' NAND sales remained at the top but were still down by 9.7 percent to $5.6 billion. The company's NAND market share downsized by 1.3 percentage points from 35.2 percent in the third quarter of 2024 to 33.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

SK hynix's NAND sales, which include those of Solidigm, also decreased by 6.6 percent in the fourth quarter to $3.4 billion. It ranked second.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]