Flash Memory Prices Plummet as Apple Plans 4GB Shuffle
May 30th, 2005
The price of flash memory, in particular NAND flash, is set to fall sharply as DigiTimes reports that Samsung and Toshiba are “aggressively planning to ramp up their output of 8Gb NAND flash chips”. In the meantime, the journal also reports that Apple will release a 2Gb version of the iPod shuffle in June, with a 4Gb version in August.
The increase in capacity of the iPod shuffle is a natural progression in the light of falling prices for flash memory.
The original price of US$58 for an 8Gb NAND flash chip is expected to eventually fall to $30.
Samsung’s 4Gb NAND flash memory was first developed in September 2003. Following the New Memory Growth Model of double density growth every 12 months (conceived by Dr. Chang Gyu Hwang, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Business), five generations of NAND flash memory have been introduced consecutively: 256Mb in 1999, 512Mb in 2000, 1Gb in 2001, 2Gb in 2002, 4Gb in 2003 and 8Gb in 2004. The company expects to roll out a 16 GB part in the second half of this year.
Entry Filed under: Hardware Tech, Online Music
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