Contract quotes for 64Gb, 32Gb and 16Gb NAND flash memory have declined by 1-2% on average, respectively, in the first half of March, compared to the average in the second half of February. Meanwhile, prices for 8Gb chips held on to its late February prices.
Contract prices for 16Gb multi-level cell (MLC) chips fluctuated in a wider range compared to those for higher-density ones in the first half of March. The high price for the 16Gb segment dropped more than 7% in the first half of March, during which the low price for the segment declined about 2%.
The 16Gb segment's average for the first half of March is US$4.02, while the average prices for 32Gb and 64Gb parts slid to S$7.12 and NT$15.18 respectively.
Average pricing for 8Gb MLC NAND flash managed to stay flat at US$3.88 in the first half of March.
Industry sources have attributed the period's stable price trend to the low season in the US and Europe markets. Meanwhile, demand for NAND flash-based products has been soft in China. The sources also commented that on the supply side, there is no new capacity coming on line to affect prices.
The sources expect the NAND flash market to see recovered demand in the third quarter, the traditional hot season for consumer electronics.