Demand for NAND Flash products will undergo a noticeable and cyclical downward correction in 1Q22 as major smartphone brands wind down their procurement activities for the peak season and ODMs prepare for the New Year holidays, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. As such, the NAND Flash market will remain in an oversupply situation, with prices continuing to undergo downward corrections accordingly. However, PC OEMs have been reinstating certain orders for client SSDs since early November in response to improvements in the supply of upstream semiconductor materials. By fulfilling these orders, suppliers are able to keep their inventory level relatively low, meaning they are not under as much pressure as previously expected to reduce inventory by lowering prices. Taking these factors into account, TrendForce expects NAND Flash ASP to undergo a 10-15% QoQ decline in 1Q22, during which NAND Flash prices will experience the most noticeable declines compared to the other quarters in 2022.

Regarding the price trend of NAND Flash products across the whole 2021, TrendForce further indicates that suppliers have actively transitioned their output to higher-layer technologies, resulting in a bit supply growth that noticeably outpaces demand, though the tight supply of components such as controller ICs and PMICs has constrained the production of NAND Flash end-products. Hence, the decline in contract prices of NAND Flash products has not been as severe as previously expected. Moving ahead to 2022, however, the supply of relevant components is expected to gradually improve, so the market for various NAND Flash products will also likely shift towards a noticeable oversupply. As a result, prices of NAND Flash products will steadily decline before the arrival of the peak season in 3Q22.

Greenliant is now shipping its wide temperature (W-temp) microSD ArmourDrive PX Series, built with advanced 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) 3D NAND flash memory. Available from 32 GB to 256 GB, W-temp (-25 to +85 degrees Celsius) microSD ArmourDrive PX Series industrial memory cards support 3,000 program-erase (P/E) cycles, and are tested to withstand shock, vibration and water. See microSD ArmourDrive product information at http://bit.ly/SD-microSD.

"With the addition of the W-temp 93 PX Series, Greenliant now offers one of the broadest microSD industrial memory card portfolios," said Arthur Kroyan, vice president of business development and marketing, Greenliant. "The 93 PX Series has been designed to meet performance, reliability and long-term support requirements from demanding video, security, networking and industrial applications."

Despite the forecasted 18.6% YoY growth in total DRAM bit supply next year, the global DRAM market is still expected to shift from a shortage situation to an oversupply, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. This shift can primarily be attributed to the fact that, not only are most buyers now carrying a relatively high level of DRAM inventory, but DRAM bit demand is also expected to increase by only 17.1% YoY in 2022. On the price front, the oversupply situation will result in a drop in DRAM ASP in 2022 but not a major decline in annual DRAM revenue, thanks to the oligopolistic nature of the DRAM industry. Annual DRAM revenue for 2022 is expected to reach US$91.54 billion, which represents a slight YoY increase of 0.3%.

Based on an analysis of DRAM sufficiency ratio (which refers to the surplus of supply in comparison with demand) for each quarter in 2022, TrendForce forecasts a 15% YoY decrease in DRAM ASP for 2022, with prices undergoing the more noticeable declines during the first half of the year. Heading into 2H22, however, owing to the rise in DDR5 penetration rate, as well as the arrival of peak seasonal demand, the decline in DRAM ASP will likely narrow. TrendForce does not rule out the possibility that DRAM ASP may even hold flat or undergo an increase in 2H22.

Greenliant is sampling high capacity NVMe U.2 Industrial Enterprise PX Series solid state drives (SSDs), designed with high quality 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) 3D NAND and on-board DRAM to provide consistent low latency and high IOPS over the entire industrial temperature range (-40°C to +85°C). The G7200 NVMe U.2 PX Series offers customers a rugged industrial SSD with enterprise grade sustained performance. See NVMe U.2 Industrial Enterprise SSD information here.

NVMe U.2 Industrial Enterprise PX Series SSDs reach up to 2,500/1,900 MB/s sequential read/write performance and provide endurance of 2 drive writes per day (DWPD) for 5 years. Combining the best of enterprise and industrial SSD features, the G7200 PX Series is ideal for high reliability automation, datacenter, video, networking, transportation and aerospace applications.

Apacer, a leading manufacturer of storage and memory, has created a pair of innovative new SSDs with cutting-edge specs that will rock the gaming market. The AS2280P4U and AS2280P4U Pro SSDs boast read-write speeds of 3,500/3,000 MB/s, allowing users to quickly upgrade laptops or consoles with expert-level technology. For professionals who demand the best, the AS2280P4U Pro also features an aluminium heat sink that can reduce operating temperatures by 25%, maintaining stable performance and the best condition.

The AS2280P4U and AS2280P4U Pro both use PCIe Gen3 x4 interfaces and 3D NAND technology. They also comply with the NVMe 1.3 standard, helping realize Apacer's 2021 motto of "adding value, enhancing collaboration." Their excellent read-write speeds, which are up to 3,500/3,000 MB/s, will allow users to quickly switch from one program to another, never holding them back in their quest for gaming excellence.

MSI is announcing the launch of its fastest Gen 3 PCIe NVMe model to its SSD product line - SPATIUM M390 NVMe M.2. MSI continues to refine its identity as a high-performance PC brand and SPATIUM was envisioned to expand our ecosystem and cover the high-performance storage category. These SSDs are built with high-quality, high-density 3D NAND flash that deliver the best compromise of performance and endurance for professionals, content creators, and gamers.

SPATIUM M390 was developed to meet the expectations of mainstream SSD consumers. Offering its PCIe Gen 3 interface with fast speeds up to 3300 MB/sec sequential read and 3000 MB/s sequential write speeds allow users to enjoy rapid file transfers and short loading times. Available storage capacities are 500 GB, and 1 TB. M390 supports a comprehensive range of data error correction features including LPDC ECC and E2E Data Protection, providing a high rated TBW (Terabytes Written) for excellent durability and longevity backed with a limited 5-year warranty.

The latest analysis of the NAND Flash market from TrendForce finds that shipments have been below expectations for consumer electronics such as smartphones, Chromebooks, and TVs during this second half of the year. At the same time, demand remains sluggish for retail storage products including memory cards and USB drives. Data centers and enterprise servers represent the only applications that show relatively strong demand. With the inventory level of the demand side steadily rising, the procurement momentum of NAND Flash buyers will become more constrained going forward. The gradual weakening of demand is also relieving the shortage of NAND Flash controller ICs. Taking account of these factors, TrendForce forecasts that quotes for NAND Flash products will begin to fall in 4Q21, and NAND Flash contract prices will register QoQ declines of 0-5% for that period.

Greenliant is now sampling SATA M.2 2242 ArmourDrive PX Series solid state drives (SSDs) that support 5K program-erase (P/E) cycles and advanced EX series SSDs with superior data retention and high endurance that support 60K, 120K and industry-leading 300K P/E cycles. SATA M.2 2242 ArmourDrive SSDs operate at industrial temperatures (-40 to +85 degrees Celsius) and are rigorously tested for shock and vibration to withstand the most extreme environments. See SATA M.2 ArmourDrive product information at http://bit.ly/SATA-M2-SSD.

Designed with Greenliant's EnduroSLC Technology, the new EX Series SSDs are available in 4 GB, 8 GB, 20 GB, 40 GB, 80 GB, 160 GB and 320 GB capacities, and are included in Greenliant's Long-Term Availability (LTA) program for 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND based products (http://bit.ly/SSD-LTA-program). The new PX Series SSDs, available in 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB capacities, use 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) 3D NAND flash memory to provide cost-effective industrial storage.

Chinese manufacturer Asgard has announced the company's (and the Chinese market's) first PCIe 4.0 SSD. The AN4 pairs 128 Layer 3D TLC NAND manufactured by YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd) Xtacking 2.0 technology, which uses a two-step manufacturing process wherein both NAND cells and interconnects are manufactured in two separate wafers and then optically fused. The NAND memory is then paired with Innogrit's IG5236 Rainier controller. The AN4 is rated for 7,500 MB/s and 5,500 MB/s sequential read and write speeds and features a "high" TBW endurance rating, though Asgard didn't clarify the exact random performance figures, nor the TBW rating for the SSD. Pricing is similarly up in the air - Asgard has only announced market availability for the 1 TB SSD solution come August, with additional 2 TB and 512 GB capacities being readied to market for a later timeframe.

The manufacturing technology of YMTC results in NAND that's as fast as Micron's latest 192-layer NAND tech, and beats well-established Kioxia's 96-layer technology performance-wise. One Bilibili forum user put the drive through its paces, and discovered that to unlock its full potential, one has to have a system capable of 512 bit maximum payload size (MPS), which is currently only supported by AMD motherboards - maximum Intel MPS currently stands at 256 bit, which "only" enables sequential performance of up to 7,150 MB/s. The user put the AN4 through a variety of tests, including PCMark 10's Drive Performance Consistency Test - a 10 to 20 hours workload marathon that puts more than 23 TB of drives on the SSD. It seems that Chinese manufacturers have achieved parity with the top western manufacturers, meaning there is one more option in the global, high-performance NAND market.

Innodisk, a leading global provider of industrial flash and memory solutions, announces its industrial-grade 112-Layer 3D TLC SSDs along with the world's highest capacity up to 8 TB. The 112-layer SSDs introduces a complete product line including the SATA 3TG6-P and 3TE7 series, as well as the PCIe Gen 3 x4 and Gen 4 x4 series.

The new TLC SSD Series marks Innodisk's continued development with 3D NAND design, bringing better efficiency, faster performance, and increased capacity. Compared to the previous 96-layer technology that offered a maximum of 2 TB storage, the new 112-layer PCIe Gen 4x4 series increase the capacity to 8 TB for U.2 SSD, which is the highest in the industry, while increased the capacity to 4 TB for M.2 (P80). Beyond capacity increases, 112-layer is also faster, with the PCIe Gen 4x4 series clocking in at speeds up to 7500/6700 MB/s (8CH) and 3800/3000 MB/s (4CH). The marked increase in performance meets the growing needs of AIoT applications and industries in 5G, edge computing, deep learning, smart surveillance and smart medical where speed and higher capacity support are critical.

MSI is announcing the launch of its solid state drive (SSD) product line with the introduction of SPATIUM. The initial product offering will include M480, M470, and M370, which are Gen4 and Gen3 PCIe NVMe SSDs in compact M.2 2280 form factors that can be installed into compatible desktop motherboards and laptops.

MSI continues to refine its identity as a high-performance PC brand and SPATIUM was envisioned to expand our ecosystem and cover the high-performance storage category. These SSDs are built with high-quality, high-density 3D NAND flash that deliver the best compromise of performance and endurance for professionals, content creators, and gamers. Among the performance improving technologies include a DRAM cache buffer for M480 and M470, and a SLC cache for all announced models.

Marvell today announced its new Bravera SC5 controller family, bringing unprecedented performance, best-in-class efficiency, and leading security features to address ever-expanding workloads in the cloud. The massive amount of data to be processed in cloud data centers is driving demand for faster and higher bandwidth storage in these environments. Marvell's Bravera SC5 SSD controllers address the critical requirements for scalable, containerized cloud storage infrastructure. By enabling the highest performing flash storage solutions, Marvell's controllers are poised to be the foundation for data centers that offer ultra-low latency, real-time applications while also providing cost-optimized, cloud-scale capacity.

As the industry's first SSD controllers to support PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 1.4b, Marvell's Bravera SC5 doubles the performance compared to PCIe 4.0 SSDs. This contributes to accelerated workloads and reduced latency, dramatically improving the user experience. In order to meet cloud service providers' stringent security requirements to ensure users' data is safe and protected, the controllers offer FIPS-compliant root of trust (RoT), AES 256-bit encryption and multi-key revocation. The new controllers are the first with a hardware-based Elastic SLA Enforcer to assure quality of service (QoS) and provide metering capabilities per customer to increase overall storage efficiency and utilization while lowering total cost of ownership (TCO).

Intel announced its new memory and storage product for client, Intel Optane memory H20 with solid state storage. Delivering innovation in storage through 11th Gen Intel Core processor-based platforms, Intel Optane memory H20 offers a personalized computing experience with a new level of performance and large storage capacity options for gamers, media and content creators, everyday users and professionals.

By combining the best attributes of Intel Optane technology and Intel QLC 3D NAND technology, Intel Optane memory H20 brings together two revolutionary memory and storage technologies on a single M.2 2280 form factor device. The versatile M.2 form factor works in everything from Intel Evo laptops to traditional desktops, as well as all-in-ones and mini-PCs. Providing improved performance and responsiveness with lower power consumption compared with the prior-generation product, Intel Optane memory H20 accelerates what you use most, from everyday tasks to managing large media and gaming files and applications.

XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, E-sports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, announcesthe launch of the XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive (SSD). Sporting the latest PCIe Gen4 x4 interface and a host of other capabilities, this SSD delivers fast read/write speeds to meet the demands of gaming, graphics processing, and 5G applications. What's more, its unique heat sink design offers excellent thermal cooling for optimal performance and stability. Its compact M.2 2280 form factor makes it ideal for most laptop PCs, including Intel Evo certified laptops, and game consoles.

With the latest PCIe Gen4 interface, the GAMMIX S70 BLADE will help gamers dominate the competition with sequential read/write performance of up to 7400/6400 MB/s. This is up to two times faster than PCIe 3.0 SSDs and fifteen times faster than SATA SSDs. For ease of use, it is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0.The S70 BLADE is equipped with 3D NAND Flash for higher capacities (up to 2 TB) and enhanced efficiency and durability, and it is compliant with NVMe 1.4.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today announced that its flagship SM2708 SD Express controller solution now supports the latest SD 8.0 specification and backward compatibility to SD 7.1 specification. With PCIe Gen 3 x2 interface and NVMe 1.3, the SM2708 SD Express controller solution is targeted at the advancement of applications with demanding performance levels across a variety of industries enabled by Ultra-High Performance SD Express cards. The SM2708 turnkey solution supports the latest 3D NAND and features Silicon Motion's proprietary NANDXtend ECC technology, internal data path protection, and programmable firmware to maximize reliability and endurance.

"Many of the latest high-end cameras & mobile phones are capable of recording video in 8K and require a faster transfer rate," said Nelson Duann, Silicon Motion's Senior Vice President of Marketing and R&D. "With the SM2708 controller now supporting the SD 8.0 specification which nearly triples throughput, applications such as 8K video capture, RAW photography, multi-channel IOT devices, multi-processing automotive storage and other applications requiring ultra-high data speeds are possible."

SMART Modular Technologies, a subsidiary of SMART Global Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: SGH), has expanded its DuraFlash ME2 SATA SSD product family with the addition of M.2 2242 SATA, mSATA (MO-300A) and Slim SATA (MO-297A) that complement the current M.2 2280 and 2.5" SSD form factors in SMART's DuraFlash portfolio.

The new ME2 SATA SSD form factors are ideal for embedded computing, transportation, medical and industrial applications that require either smaller or legacy SSD form factors. Built with Triple-Level Cell (TLC) 3D NAND technology, they are available in both commercial (0 °C to 70 °C) and industrial (-40 °C to 85 °C) operating temperatures. The ME2 family SSDs provide enhanced reliability by incorporating advanced LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) error detection and correction, plus end-to-end data path protection ensuring extremely high data integrity and reliability.

On March 22nd, the CEO of SK Hynix, Seok-Hee Lee, gave a keynote speech to the IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS) and shared with experts a part of its plan for the future of SK Hynix products. The CEO took the stage and delivered some conceptual technologies that the company is working on right now. At the center of the show, two distinct products stood out - 3D NAND and DRAM. So far, the company has believed that its 3D NAND scaling was very limited and that it can push up to 500 layers sometime in the future before the limit is reached. However, according to the latest research, SK Hynix will be able to produce 600-layer 3D NAND technology in the distant future.

So far, the company has managed to manufacture and sample 512Gb 176-layer 3D NAND chips, so the 600-layer solutions are still far away. Nonetheless, it is a possibility that we are looking at. Before we reach that layer number, there are various problems needed to be solved so the technology can work. According to SK Hynix, "the company introduced the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to further improve the cell property of efficiently storing electric charges and exporting them when needed, while developing technology to maintain uniform electric charges over a certain amount through the innovation of dielectric materials. In addition to this, to solve film stress issues, the mechanical stress levels of films is controlled and the cell oxide-nitride (ON) material is being optimized. To deal with the interference phenomenon between cells and charge loss that occur when more cells are stacked at a limited height, SK Hynix developed the isolated-charge trap nitride (isolated-CTN) structure to enhance reliability."

Patriot Memory today rolled out the Supersonic Rage Pro line of USB 3.1 flash drives. Successors to the Supersonic Rage series form 2013, these drives are updated with the latest 3D NAND flash, controllers, and support for the latest technologies. The drives take advantage of USB 3.1 Gen1 type-A interface (5 Gbps), and UASP (USB-attached SCSI) protocol. Its makers claim sequential transfer speeds of up to 420 MB/s, and 4K random access performance of up to 8,000 IOPS, making these drives fit for Windows-to-Go (WTG) and similar BYOD applications. The drives come in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB, and are built in a conventional 2-piece form-factor. Available now, the 128 GB variant is priced at 39.99€, the 256 GB variant at 59.99€, and the 512 GB variant at 109.99€.

addlink Gen4x4 NVMe SSD series, S90, S92, S95 are ready for the latest Intel Rocket Lake-S platform. The processors have been confirmed as going on sale on March 30.

Rocket Lake will make PCIe Gen4 SSDs fly faster than Ryzen, Intel says. Rocket lake is a code name for Intel 11th Gen's desktop chip family. It supports the PCIe 4.0 Interface, which provide twice the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0. Intel Rocket Lake-S comes two years after AMD Ryzen (X570/B550) lead industry with the first PC chips to support the PCIe 4.0 interface. During CES 2021, Intel revealed some detail about new Rocket Lake chips and claims the 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop platform delivers up to 11% better PCIe Gen 4 storage performance vs the AMD Ryzen 9 5000 platform. They also confirmed that the chips will go on sale on March 30, 2021.

With Samsung, YMTC, SK Hynix, and Intel leading the charge, NAND Flash suppliers will maintain an aggressive effort to expand their production capacities throughout 2Q21, during which NAND Flash bit output will likely increase by nearly 10% QoQ, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. On the other hand, orders from PC OEMs and Chinese smartphone brands since 1Q21, as well as recovering procurement activities from clients in the data center segment during 2Q21, will generate upward momentum propelling NAND Flash bit demand. Furthermore, buyers are actively stocking up on finished products, such as SSDs and eMMC, due to persistently limited NAND Flash controller supply. TrendForce therefore expects NAND Flash contract prices to increase by an average of 3-8% QoQ in 2Q21 after experiencing a 5-10% decline QoQ in 1Q21. In particular, as Samsung's Line S2 fab in Austin has yet to resume full operation after the Texas winter storm, the supply of NAND Flash controllers going forward may be at risk, and Samsung's ability to manufacture client SSDs will be further constrained as a result. In light of these factors, TrendForce is not ruling out the possibility that NAND Flash contract prices may increase by even more than current forecasts.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is proud to announce the new NM620 M.2 2280 PCle Gen 3 x4 NVMe SSD. The NM620 is a perfect solution designed for content creators and gamers who want to maximize the speed of their PCs and be able to handle intensive workload. Enjoy 6x the speed of SATA SSDs with speeds of up to 3300 MB/s read and 3000 MB/s write, so you can improve overall workflow. Supported by PCIe Gen 3 x4 NVMe 1.4 technology standard and built with the latest 3D NAND flash, the NM620 puts you in the computing fast lane and offers impressive performance even for demanding creative workstations and gaming experiences.

For added efficiency, its reduced power consumption and cooler operation makes the battery life last longer than a traditional hard drive.Also, the NM620 is built to last with no moving parts, unlike traditional hard disk drive. On top of that, it's also shock and vibration resistant, making it one robust and reliable SSD.

Greenliant has expanded its ArmourDrive industrial memory card portfolio with the high reliability, high capacity microSD QX Series, available from 256 GB to 1 TB, and operating at wide temperatures (-25 to +85 degrees Celsius). See microSD ArmourDrive product information at http://bit.ly/SD-microSD.

Industrial microSD memory cards have become a popular storage medium for a broad range of applications, including dashcams and bodycams, data loggers, routers and switches, medical equipment and IIoT devices. Built with high quality, advanced 4-bit-per-cell (QLC) 3D NAND flash memory, microSD ArmourDrive QX Series products provide video, security, networking and industrial customers with cost effective, reliable and rugged removable data storage. UHS Speed Class 10 and SD Specification 6.10 compliant, microSD ArmourDrive QX Series cards reach up to 100/37 MB/s sequential read/write performance and are ideal for video recording at high definition resolution.

The XTREEM ARGB GAMING MEMORY, winner of the 2020 German Red Dot Design Award, and the DELTA MAX RGB SSD with its ultra-large, cutting-edge RGB panel continue to receive great attention inside and outside the industry. Today, TEAMGROUP is releasing brand new models in a lustrous, clean white for both series. Not only do they have strikingly beautiful lighting effects but also patented tech that provides even more stable overclocking performance. T-FORCE's design marks a new trend of white-colored hardware, introducing a fresh and unique aesthetic to the gaming industry.

The sleek XTREEM ARGB WHITE GAMING MEMORY is fitted with a fully-translucent cover and a 10-layer PCB board that provides superior overclocking capabilities and performance. This model has a frequency of up to 4000 MHz and a capacity of 32 GB for a single module, giving gamers a compelling option for their next upgrade. The XTREEM ARGB WHITE GAMING MEMORY also features overclocking profiles, so users can enjoy outstanding performance with a single click.

In the upstream semiconductor industry, the major foundries such as TSMC and UMC are reporting fully loaded capacities, while in the downstream, the available production capacity for OSAT is also lacking, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. Given this situation, suppliers of NAND Flash controller ICs such as Phison and Silicon Motion are now unable to meet upside demand from their clients. Not only have many controller IC suppliers temporarily stopped offering quotes for new orders, but they are also even considering raising prices soon because the negotiations between NAND Flash suppliers and module houses over 1Q21 contracts are now at the critical juncture. The potential increases in prices of controller ICs from outsourced suppliers (IC design houses) are currently estimated to be the range of 15-20%.

With regards to the demand side, demand has risen significantly for eMMC solutions with medium- and low-density specifications (i.e., 64 GB and lower), for which NAND Flash suppliers have mostly stopped updating the NAND Flash process technology, while maintaining support with the legacy 2D NAND or the 64L 3D NAND process. This is on account of strong sales for Chromebook devices and TVs. As older processes gradually account for a lowering portion of bit output proportions from NAND Flash suppliers, these companies are exhibiting a lowered willingness to directly supply such eMMC products to clients. As a result, clients now need to turn to memory module houses, which are able to source NAND Flash components and controllers, to procure eMMC products in substantial quantities.

XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, Esports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, today announces the XPG SPECTRIX S20G PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive (SSD). The SPECTRIX S20G is an SSD built with form and performance in mind with its distinct x-shaped RBG lighting and excellent read/write speeds.

The XPG SPECTRIX S20G is a gaming SSD through and through and its styling reflects this. It sports a distinctive and prominent x-shaped RGB design that outshines the competition. The RGB light effects can be customized via software. What's more, a hairline-brushed finish gives the SSD a formidable yet elegant look that will intimidate and impress.