Contract quotes for mainstream 16Gb NAND flash memory have edged up 2-7% to average US$4.06 in the first half of April 2010, while prices for 32Gb parts have risen 3-4% to US$7.54.
Early April contract prices for 16Gb multi-level cell (MLC) chips have seen larger fluctuations compared to those for 32Gb ones, which would suggest consumer electronics vendors have begun to activity re-stock their inventories, industry sources commented.
However, the sources revealed that Apple has not struck any long-term supply deals with NAND flash suppliers. The biggest NAND flash consumer is reportedly reluctant to place large orders as it expects upstream suppliers to lower prices.
Major NAND flash producers have been keeping a close watch on current market conditions, and are cautious about capacity expansions.
In addition, contract prices for 64Gb MLC NAND flash have remained almost flat at US14.30-16.50 in the early part of April, whereas prices for 8Gb parts have seen a negative 2% to 4% growth to average US$3.93.