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Report Suggests that Samsung Will Increase DRAM & NAND Prices by 3 to 5%

Earlier today, industry moles in South Korea have heard whispers about Samsung Electronics planning a new pricing strategy for NAND and DRAM product lines. According to an MK news articles, local sources believe that company leadership will: "raise memory chip prices—by 3-5% from the current level—for major global customers. It is reported that some customers have already begun contract negotiations that reflect the increase conditions." Regional watchdogs posit that the megacorporation is reacting to very current geopolitical tensions (i.e. tariffs). Earlier this week, a main rival—Micron—informed customers about forthcoming memory price increases. Naturally, the North American memory chip giant is not "fully" affected by recent seismic shifts. A "significant growth demand" has caused jacked up charges—effective across DRAM, NAND flash, and HBM portfolios—projected throughout 2025 and 2026.

Returning to South Korean shores and Samsung, one unnamed semiconductor insider opined to MK: "oversupply continued throughout last year, but supply has recently decreased as major companies have begun to reduce production...In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) devices are appearing one after another in China, and demand for semiconductors is gradually increasing due to industrial automation." DRAMeXchange—an appropriately named market research organization—has kept track relevant trends. As disclosed by the MK news piece—as of last month, general-purpose DRAM DDR4 prices: "remained flat for the fourth month in a row." Looking at conditions for DDR5 (used in high-performance PCs and enterprise equipment), prices soared by 12%. DRAMeXchange observed NAND costs rising by 9.6%: "continuing an upward trend for the third consecutive month."

Samsung Bolsters its U.S. Gaming Market Presence with Odyssey 3D

Samsung Electronics America today announced its plans to strengthen its presence in the U.S. gaming industry with the upcoming release of its latest gaming monitor, Odyssey 3D. From March 24-28, Samsung hosted "eXperience 2025," an exclusive event for key North American customers at Fairmont Austin in Texas. This year, the event brought together nearly 600 major clients, including MicroCenter, Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart.

The event served as a platform for Samsung to unveil its newest gaming monitor lineups in front of customers, including its 2025 flagship products—Odyssey 3D (G90XF), Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF) and Odyssey G9 (G91F) models.

Samsung's "All-Solid State" Battery Tech Reportedly Coming to Next-Gen Wearables, No Mention of Deployment in Smartphones

According to a fresh Money Today SK news article, Samsung is expected to launch a next-generation Galaxy Ring model later this year—this tiny wearable device is touted to operate with a "dream battery" design. The South Korean giant's Electro-Mechanics division is reportedly tasked with the challenging development of "all-solid-state" batteries for all manner of ultraportable products. Yesterday's report suggests that Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring sequel—apparently scheduled for launch within Q4'25—will be driven by the Electro-Mechanics team's pioneering effort. The production of all-solid-state battery units is an expensive endeavor, so industry watchdogs have predicted tough retail conditions for the forthcoming "Galaxy Ring 2" rollout—the original unit was not exactly a "hot property" in terms of sales figures.

Money Today's inside sources reckon that the Electro-Mechanics branch will—eventually—fit all-solid-state battery designs inside new-gen earphones (aka Galaxy Buds) by Q4 2026, and very futuristic smartwatches by the end of 2027. Given cost considerations, larger all-solid-state solutions—potentially for usage in smartphones—are not in the pipeline. Around early February of this year, the development of Samsung's (inevitable) "Galaxy S26" mobile series was linked to alleged 6000+ mAh silicon-carbon battery units. The South Korean's smartphone engineering team is reportedly trying to play catch up with more advanced solutions, as devised by competitors in China. The status of Samsung's proprietary silicon-carbon prototype is the subject of much online debate, but certain insiders believe that employees are still working hard on the perfection of an ideal "battery formula."

Samsung Announces New Galaxy Tab S10 FE Series

Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Galaxy Tab S10 FE+, offering new entry points to the Galaxy ecosystem on a premium tablet design. Equipped with the largest screen yet on the Galaxy Tab S FE series and slimmer bezels that expand its display, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ provides a fun, immersive viewing experience for everything from entertainment to studying and day-to-day tasks. Samsung's Intelligent Features empower users to get more done with ease, while a slimmer design helps users to achieve their creativity and productivity on the go.

"The new Galaxy Tab S10 FE series brings advanced mobile AI experience and Samsung's connected ecosystem to even more tablet users, while still offering leading performance and design," said Changtae Kim, EVP & Head of New Computing R&D Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "We're confident that the slim bezels and expansive displays, in addition to a whole host of functional improvements, will inspire people to do more, create more, and discover more."

Leaker Claims that Samsung Will Stop Using "Exynos" Nomenclature, Next-gen 2 nm Mobile SoC Tipped for Rebrand

Over the past weekend Jukanlosreve declared via social media that Samsung's: "Exynos 2600 (mobile SoC) is definitely back, and it will be used in the Galaxy S26 series. But the chip volume is so limited that it'll likely be similar to the Exynos 990 situation. I'm not sure if SF2 is actually any good." Mid-way through March, the keen observer of semiconductor industry conditions posited that Samsung's Foundry business could abandon a 1.4 nm (SF1.4) process node. SF2 (aka 2 nm GAA) seems to be in a healthier place, according to insiders—thanks to rumored assistance from an external AI-specialist partner. The development of next-generation flagship Exynos smartphone processors are allegedly closely tied with Samsung Foundry's 2 nm GAA manufacturing process.

As alluded to by Jukanlosreve's recent prediction, the statuses of leaked 2 nm-based "Exynos 2600" and "Exynos 2500" chips were often questioned by industry watchdogs in the past. The latter is purportedly destined for rollout in forthcoming affordable "Galaxy Z Flip FE" models, albeit in mature 4 nm form. Vhsss_God—another source of inside track info—has weighed in on the topic of Samsung's next-gen chipset roadmap. Compared to Jukanlosreve's musings, their similarly-timed weekend projection seemed to be quite fanciful: "exclusive leak...Samsung doesn't want to use Exynos or Qualcomm Snapdragon chips anymore. S26 line is targeted to launch with the new Samsung developed chip (2 nm)—formerly referred to as Exynos 2600. (The company) will try its hardest to ditch Snapdragon on the entire Galaxy line next year." Perhaps there is too much of a negative stigma attached to Samsung's long-running chipset nomenclature, but the majority of foundry moles continue to label incoming designs as Exynos processors.

EA Joins Amazon Luna As Game Streaming Platform Expands to 4 EU Countries

Amazon Luna, the online game streaming service, has officially announced that it will be expanding further into Europe, introducing availability in Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Sweden. The launch includes both the free-to-play games available via Amazon Prime Gaming and the standalone Luna+ subscription service. Along with that announcement, it was also revealed that Amazon Luna has entered into a multi-year partnership with EA to bring some of the game studio's AAA hits to Luna+ members. EA joins GOG, Ubisoft, and Jackbox Games as publishers and game studios whose games are now available on Luna.

Kicking off the EA partnership are Star Ward: Jedi Survivor, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, and Dead Space. Unlike the Ubisoft and Jackbox games, which require an additional subscription tier to access, EA's games are available in the basic Luna+ subscription. Amazon says that more EA games will be coming to Luna soon, specifically mentioning the EA Sports portfolio, although it did not specify which games or say when they would be coming to the platform. With Luna's expansion into more European countries, Amazon is also increasing the availability of the Luna controller, which connects directly to the cloud game streaming servers for reduced latency. The Luna controller will now be available in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Sweden for €69.99 MSRP or 799.99 SEK, with introductory sales bringing prices down to €44.99 and 519.99 SEK, respectively. The Luna controller is not yet available in Portugal, but it will launch there later this year. Luna+ subscribers can play on a variety of devices, including Mac, Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android, and ChromeOS devices (via Chrome or Safari web browsers), as well as Amazon Fire tablets and TVs and Samsung and LG TVs.

Samsung Display Targets 2025 Shipment Growth of 50% for QD-OLED Monitor Panel

Samsung Display today announced plans to boost sales of its QD-OLED for monitors to popularize this cutting-edge, self-emitting display technology. The company expects shipments of QD-OLED for monitors to grow more than 50% this year compared to last year's shipments of 1.43 million units, and is ramping up its supply to meet high consumer demand.

According to the market research firm Omdia, OLED panel monitor shipments have experienced significant growth over the past few years: 8,300 units in 2021, 160,000 units in 2022, and 820,000 units in 2023, reflecting an almost 300% annual increase from 2021 to 2024. This data highlights a rapid shift from Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to OLED technology, largely driven by the adoption of QD-OLED. Last year, Samsung Display held a commanding 71.2% share of the OLED panels for monitors according to Omdia.

Samsung Launches Next-Gen Odyssey Gaming Monitors

Samsung Electronics today announced the availability of its newest Odyssey gaming monitors, as well as the ViewFinity S8. The 2025 Odyssey lineup includes the revolutionary Odyssey 3D, the stunning Odyssey OLED G8—which features an industry-first 4K, 240 Hz screen—and the ultrawide Odyssey G9. These monitors, which push the boundaries of immersion and excellence, have been meticulously designed to deliver excellence to modern gamers.

"At Samsung, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge display technology that enhances the gaming experience," said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "The new Odyssey monitors represent a significant leap forward in innovation, visual quality and performance, empowering gamers to fully immerse themselves and perform at their best."

Samsung 9100 PRO Series SSD with up to 14.8 GB/s Read Speed is Now Available

Samsung has officially released its next-generation 9100 PRO series solid-state drives to the masses, with availability starting today. The drives leverage PCIe 5.0 technology to deliver sequential read/write speeds of up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s—twice as fast as previous generation offerings—while random read/write performance reaches 2,200K/2,600K IOPS. The series, available in standard and heatsink variants, marks Samsung's first consumer NVMe offerings to reach 8 TB capacity. The 9100 PRO line integrates Samsung's 5 nm controller architecture, yielding up to 49% improved power efficiency compared to prior models. This efficiency gain comes without compromising the form factor, with the drives maintaining a slim 0.35-inch profile. The heatsink variant provides additional thermal regulation capabilities for sustained performance under demanding workloads, making it particularly suitable for AI content generation, 8K video editing, and high-performance gaming applications.

Currently available configurations include 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities, with pricing starting at $199.99 for the standard 1 TB model and $219.99 for the heatsink-equipped equivalent. The 2 TB models are priced at $299.99 and $319.99, respectively, while 4 TB variants command $549.99 and $569.99. Samsung has announced that 8 TB models will enter the market in H2 2025. Compatible with desktop PCs, laptops, and PlayStation 5 consoles featuring appropriate PCIe 5.0 slots, the drives incorporate Samsung's V-NAND TLC (V8) technology and LPDDR4X cache memory—ranging from 1 GB in the 1 TB model to 8 GB in the 8 TB version. Samsung's Magician Software suite provides management capabilities, including performance optimization and firmware update notifications.

Samsung Reportedly Partnered Up with Palantir to Improve Chip Production Yields

According to The Korea Economic Daily, an unlikely alliance—involving Samsung Electronics and Palantir Technologies—was formed at the end of last year. Late last week, insiders posited that the South Korean megacorporation's Foundry business was going through troubled times. It is not clear whether the assistance provided by Palantir's AI-infused suite has produced pleasing results chez Samsung's flagship production hubs, but insiders reckon that utilization of the software started just before Christmas. Local media outlets view this unusual pairing as a "gamble"—reportedly, the new-ish initiative has targeted an improved "semiconductor yield (ratio of good products in total production), quality, and productivity."

The Samsung Foundry appears to be going "all-in" with its 2 nm GAA node process; industry moles picked up on signals transmitted by an alleged special "task force (TF)." This elite team is reportedly entrusted with a challenging two-pronged goal; get 2 nm GAA over the finish line by late 2025, alongside the (connected) finalization of a much-rumored "Exynos 2600" mobile chipset. The Korea Economic Daily news article mentions the expansion of a "Samsung DS Division AI Center" back in December (2025), but falls short of labelling this department as the aforementioned "special task force." Despite a previous reluctance to share sensitive data with external companies, the latest report suggests a significant change in strategy. Further details were disclosed: "(Samsung's) collaboration with Palantir is handled by the DS Division AI Center...The AI Center is an organization that merged the DS Division Innovation Center and SAIT (formerly Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) AI Center, and is developing DS Division-specific technologies using AI, advancing development software, building AI platforms, and controlling and advancing facilities and infrastructure." Around late February, industry inside trackers predicted continued "smooth" progress with the 2 nm GAA node. Samsung Foundry's fully upgraded "S2" mass production line is expected to come online by Q4 2025.

Samsung Foundry in Trouble, Might Cancel 1.4 nm Node High-Volume Manufacturing

Samsung Foundry could abandon its 1.4 nm (SF1.4) process node initially targeted for 2027 production, according to industry leaker @Jukanlosreve. This decision comes amid ongoing yield problems with the company's 3 nm SF3 node and follows the shutdown of underutilized 5 nm and 7 nm production lines. This could significantly impact Samsung's technology roadmap, which had positioned SF1.4 alongside automotive-focused SF2A and SF2Z nodes. According to Korea Economic Daily data, the foundry division's market share has fallen to 8.2% compared to TSMC's 67.1%. Samsung continues the development of Exynos 2600 on the SF2 node and maintains orders from Japan's Preferred Networks but has failed to attract major clients beyond Chinese firms, avoiding US sanctions. Internal restructuring appears imminent, with reports suggesting the Exynos design team may move under the Mobile Experience division.

While Samsung may prioritize improving yields on existing nodes rather than pursuing SF1.4, this approach risks competitive disadvantages in high-performance computing and AI markets. The SF2Z node with Backside Power Delivery Network (BPDN) technology remains under development, though its commercial viability depends on resolving broader manufacturing issues. Samsung's retreat would further fall behind advanced node manufacturing, competing with TSMC and potentially Intel, raising questions about competition in leading-edge semiconductor fabrication. The company's decisions in the coming months will determine whether it can regain manufacturing credibility or face production of trailing-edge semiconductor nodes. Manufacturing advanced silicon remains a challenge for everyone except TSMC.

Samsung Reportedly Planning Mass Production of "Exynos 2600" Prototypes in May

Late last month, industry insiders posited that pleasing progress was being made with Samsung's cutting-edge 2 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) node process. The rumored abandonment of an older 3 nm GAA-based project—in late 2024—has likely sent the South Korean foundry team into overdrive. A speculated Exynos 2500 flagship mobile processor was previously linked to said 3 nm node, but industry watchdogs believe that company engineers are experimenting with a 2 nm GAA manufacturing process. According to the latest insider report—from FN News SK—Samsung Foundry (SF) has assembled a special "task force (TF)." Allegedly, this elite team will be dedicated to getting a newer "Exynos 2600 chip" over the finish line—suggesting an abandonment of the older "2500" design, or a simple renaming.

Samsung's recent launch of Galaxy S25 series smartphones was reportedly viewed as a disappointing compromise—with all models being powered by Qualcomm's "first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform," instead of in-house devised chipsets. According to industry moles, one of the SF task force's main goals is a boosting of 2 nm GAA production yields up to "economically viable" levels (roughly 60-70%)—apparently last month's best result was ~30%. Mass production of prototype chipsets is tipped to start by May. Samsung's reported target of "stabilizing their Exynos 2600" SoC design will ensure that "Galaxy S26 series" devices will not become reliant on Qualcomm internals. Additionally, FN News proposes a bigger picture scenario: "the stabilization of 2 nm (SF2/GAA) products, is expected to speed up the acquisition of customers for Samsung Electronics' foundry division, which is thirsty for leading-edge process customers." A forthcoming rival next-gen mobile chip—Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2—is supposedly in the pipeline. The smartphone industry inside track reckons that Qualcomm has signed up with TSMC; with a 2 nm manufacturing process in mind.

Samsung & Logitech Celebrate Five Years of Video Conferencing Collaboration

Samsung Electronics and Logitech celebrate five years of partnership in video conferencing, combining their industry-leading solutions to enhance workplace collaboration and productivity. The integration of Samsung high-definition displays with Logitech's video conferencing solutions creates immersive, connected experiences ready to meet the needs of today's employees.

With the rise of flexible work environments, organizations require meeting spaces equipped with advanced video conferencing technology to enable seamless collaboration for distributed teams. Businesses can now leverage Samsung's high-definition displays with Logitech's conference cameras, webcams and audio systems to achieve crystal-clear video and sound, helping remote and in-person participants feel like they are in the same room. Samsung Interactive Displays also enable teams to connect, share ideas and whiteboard on a single screen. These meeting solutions make every participant feel equally engaged regardless of location.

4Q24 Global Top 10 Foundries Set New Revenue Record, TSMC Leads in Advanced Process Nodes

TrendForce's latest research reveals that the global foundry industry exhibited a polarized trend in 4Q24. Advanced process nodes benefited from strong demand in AI servers, flagship smartphone application processors (APs), and new PC platforms, driving high-value wafer shipments. This growth helped offset the slowdown in mature process demand, allowing the top 10 foundries to achieve nearly 10% QoQ revenue growth, reaching US$38.48 billion, and marking another industry record.

TrendForce notes that new U.S. trade tariffs under the Trump administration have started affecting the foundry industry. A surge in recent orders for TVs, PCs, and notebooks bound for the U.S. in 4Q24 is expected to extend into 1Q25. Additionally, China's consumer subsidy program—introduced in late 2024—has spurred early inventory restocking among upstream customers. Combined with persistent demand for TSMC's AI-related chips and advanced packaging, these factors suggest that despite Q1 being a seasonally weak quarter, foundry revenue will only decline slightly.

Samsung Evaluates Chip Design Division, Could Reconsider Factory Investment Plans in South Korea and US

Samsung Electronics is taking a close look at its chip design and foundry operations. This action could lead to organizational restructuring, including executive reassignments and workforce reallocation. The initiative aims to strengthen Samsung's competitive position against industry leaders such as TSMC. In January, the company's executives initiated an in-depth evaluation of the System LSI division, which handles chip design. After that, the company plans to extend the review to its foundry business. Significant restructuring may occur within the System LSI division, one proposal involves transferring the Exynos system-on-chip (SoC) business to the Mobile Experience (MX) division to better align with Samsung's smartphone strategy.

Samsung is also evaluating the potential pause of investments in its Pyeongtaek (South Korea) and Taylor (US) manufacturing facilities for its foundry business. At the same time, the company is developing strategies to improve yield rates in its advanced manufacturing processes. Moreover, Samsung is also considering changes within its image sensor business, potentially shifting focus from high-resolution sensors toward products for autonomous vehicles and robotics applications. This action represents the first major internal assessment since Samsung established its management analysis department in November 2024. The primary objective is to revitalize underperforming business divisions.

Weak Consumer Electronics Demand Drives 4Q24 NAND Flash Revenue Down 6.2% QoQ, Says TrendForce

TrendForce's latest research reveals that the NAND Flash market faced downward pressure in 4Q24 as PC and smartphone manufacturers continued inventory clearance efforts, leading to significant supply chain adjustments. Consequently, NAND Flash prices reversed downward, with ASP dropping 4% QoQ, while overall bit shipments declined by 2%. Total industry revenue fell 6.2% QoQ to US$16.52 billion.

Looking ahead to 1Q25, the traditional slow season effect remains unavoidable despite suppliers actively reducing production. Server and other key end-market inventory restocking has slowed, and with both order volumes and contract prices declining sharply. NAND Flash industry revenue is expected to drop by up to 20% QoQ. However, as production cuts take effect and prices stabilize, the NAND Flash market is expected to recover in the second half of 2025.

Samsung Display to Showcase 'OLED Magic' at MWC25, Including Foldable Handheld Gaming Display

Samsung Display announced today its participation in the Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25), the world's premier connectivity event. At this influential gathering, Samsung Display will unveil its "OLED Magic" concept, showcasing the future of display technology.

The exhibition will highlight Samsung OLED's superior display quality through innovative form factors, featuring a tribute to the iconic landmarks of Spain, where MWC25 is being held. Attendees will be treated to a unique experience as Samsung OLED captures and expresses the vibrant, distinctive colors of Spain. A highlight of the exhibition will be the Seamless Color Studio, where the exceptional quality of OLED displays can be experienced across a variety of devices. The event will also showcase On-Cell Film (OCF) technology, a cutting-edge advancement in premium display technology.

Samsung Reportedly Progressing Well with 2 nm GAA Yields, Late 2025 Mass Production Phase Looms

Samsung's foundry operation has experienced many setbacks over the past six months, according to a steady feed of insider reports. Last November, industry moles leaked details of an apparent abandonment of the company's 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. Significant yield problems prompted an alleged shift into 2 nm territories, with a next-gen flagship Exynos mobile processor linked to this cutting-edge node. According to a mid-week Chosun Daily article, Samsung and its main rival—TSMC—are in a race to establish decent yields of 2 nm wafers, ahead of predicted "late 2025" mass production kick-offs. The publication's inside track points to the Taiwanese foundry making the most progress (with an estimated 60%), but watchdogs warn that it is too early to bet against the South Korean competitor.

Despite murmurs of current 20 - 30% yields, the Samsung's Hwaseong facility is touted to make "smooth" progress over the coming months. Chosun's sources believe that Samsung engineers struggled to get 3 nm GAA "up to snuff," spending around three years on development endeavors (in vain). In comparison, the making of 2 nm GAA is reported to be less bumpy. A fully upgraded "S3" foundry line is expected to come online by the fourth quarter of this year. An unnamed insider commented on rumors of better than anticipated forward motion chez Samsung Electronics: "there are positive aspects to this as it has shown technological improvements, such as the recent increase in the yield of its 4 nm process by up to 80%." Recent-ish reports suggest that foundry teams have dealt with budget cuts, as well as mounting pressure from company leadership to hit deadlines.

Samsung Display's OCF Leadership Takes Center Stage at MWC25

Samsung Display today revealed plans to exhibit its next-generation OLED technology, boasting an impressive maximum brightness of 5,000 nits, at the Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25) on March 3.

The ultra-high brightness OLED was developed based on the polarizer-less display, also known as on-cell film (OCF) technology, which Samsung Display was the first to commercialize. This innovation not only enhances outdoor visibility but also reduces power consumption, paving the way for significant design flexibility. OCF technology is being applied to a bar-type smartphone and a rollable laptop, following its success in foldable smartphones, and is being recognized by customers as a high-value display technology.

Server DRAM and HBM Continue to Drive Growth, 4Q24 DRAM Industry Revenue Increases by 9.9% QoQ

TrendForce's latest research reveals that global DRAM industry revenue surpassed US$28 billion in 4Q24, marking a 9.9% QoQ increase. This growth was primarily driven by rising contract prices for server DDR5 and concentrated shipments of HBM, leading to continued revenue expansion for the top three DRAM suppliers.

Most contract prices across applications were seen to have reversed downward. However, increased procurement of high-capacity server DDR5 by major American CSPs helped sustain price momentum for server DRAM.

Samsung Aims for 1,000-Layer NAND by 2030, Begins Wafer Bonding at 400 Layers

Samsung aims to create 1,000-layer NAND by 2030 relying on its new "multi-BV" NAND design. The Bell reports that this plan involves stacking four wafers to overcome structural limits. Wafer bonding technology plays a crucial role in this progress and Samsung intends to use it to break the 1,000-layer barrier. Samsung Electronics DS division CTO, Song Jae-hyuk, pointed out that wafer bonding allows separate production of peripheral and cell wafers before joining them into one semiconductor. The Bell says this technology will likely appear first in Samsung's 10th-gen NAND (V10), while industry experts think a single wafer can hold about 500 NAND layers when implementing only cell structures. In the past, Samsung has used the COP (Cell on Peripheral) technique, a method that places the peripheral circuit on one wafer, with NAND cells stacked on top. However, as NAND layers grow, the lower peripheral parts face more pressure potentially affecting reliability.

Samsung's plan involves working with China's YMTC, which should offer a hybrid bonding patent for V10 NAND. ZDNet reports that the South Korean tech company will start making its V10 NAND in large quantities in the second half of 2025, with about 420-430 layers. Besides wafer bonding, Samsung adds other technologies to its NAND plan. The Bell points out that cold etching using molybdenum, and other new ideas will start with 400-layer NAND and play a key part in growing to 1,000 layers. Samsung isn't alone in trying to create ultra-high-layer NAND products. Japan's Kioxia also wants to reach this goal through its "multi-stack CBA" (CMOS Bonded to Array) technology. The company's plan is even bolder hoping to sell 1,000-layer 3D NAND by 2027.

Samsung Announces the 9100 PRO Series SSDs, with Breakthrough PCIe 5.0 Performance

Samsung Electronics America, a world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced the 9100 PRO series solid state drives (SSDs), the newest addition to its consumer SSD lineup. Featuring blazing fast speeds and even more storage capacities, the 9100 PRO and 9100 PRO with Heatsink SSDs are designed to deliver next-gen performance - offering the ultimate storage solution for your digital life.

"From AI-driven creators shaping the future to gamers pushing the limits, we saw a clear need for innovation to support users who need more forward-thinking memory technology as they push the bounds of what's possible in their work," said Jim Kiczek, Vice President of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "The 9100 PRO SSD establishes a new era of performance to help them achieve exactly that. With more storage, even better speeds, improved power efficiency and seamless reliability, the lineup empowers users to continue innovating without storage limitations."

Samsung's 9100 Pro PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Leaks Ahead of Official Launch

Although we've been aware of Samsung's 9100 Pro SSD since June last year, it appears that Samsung India got ahead of things and released a press release early about what we can only expect is a soon to launch product. The 9100 Pro is, as you'd expect, a PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD and it will be available in capacities of 1, 2 and 4 TB initially, but it appears that Samsung is also planning to release an 8 TB SKU, which would be a first for its Pro series of SSDs. Samsung will offer all SKUs with or without a heatsink and the 1 to 4 TB versions will come with an 8.8 mm thick heatsink, whereas the 8 TB model will come with an 11.25 mm thick heatsink.

Sadly, Samsung India only shared the sequential performance figures, and we're looking at read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s and write speeds of up 13,400 MB/s, neither is sticking out from the competition already available in the market. The pulled press release also mentioned random read performance of 2,200K IOPS and random write performance of 2,600K IOPS. As the press release was intended for the Indian market, we only have pricing in Indian rupees and the 1 TB SKU will sell for 14,999 INR or around US$172, including 18 percent VAT, followed by the 2 TB SKU at 25,499 INR or US$293 and finally 49,999 INR or US$573 for the 4 TB SKU. No pricing was revealed for the upcoming 8 TB SKU.

Intel Xeon 6 Processors With E-Core Achieve Ecosystem Adoption Speed by Industry-Leading 5G Core Solution Partners

Intel today showcased how Intel Xeon 6 processors with Efficient-cores (E-cores) have dramatically accelerated time-to-market adoption for the company's solutions in collaboration with the ecosystem. Since product introduction in June 2024, 5G core solution partners have independently validated a 3.2x performance improvement, a 3.8x performance per watt increase and, in collaboration with the Intel Infrastructure Power Manager launched at MWC 2024, a 60% reduction in run-time power consumption.

"As 5G core networks continue to build out using Intel Xeon processors, which are deployed in the vast majority of 5G networks worldwide, infrastructure efficiency, power savings and uncompromised performance are essential criteria for communication service providers (CoSPs). Intel is pleased to announce that our 5G core solution partners have accelerated the adoption of Intel Xeon 6 with E-cores and are immediately passing along these benefits to their customers. In addition, with Intel Infrastructure Power Manager, our partners have a run-time software solution that is showing tremendous progress in reducing server power in CoSP environments on existing and new infrastructure." -Alex Quach, Intel vice president and general manager of Wireline and Core Network Division

Samsung Boss Reportedly Encouraged Simultaneous Development of Exynos 2500 SoC & Galaxy S26 Series

The late 2024 news cycle suggested that Samsung's semiconductor business was going through tough times. Alleged yield problems—affecting the 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process—were highlighted last November. Fast-forward to January 2025; the South Korean megacorp has launched its cutting-edge Galaxy S25 smartphone series. The entire lineup of newly unveiled flagship smartphones contains Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipsets; the Southern Californian chip designer is reportedly pulling in a tidy sum from this partnership. Fresh reports from South Korean news outlets indicate that Samsung System LSI employees have received an "encouraging" email from their boss, regarding current production predicaments.

Businesskorea and Sedaily reports include quotes extracted from the (apparently) leaked internal memo. LSI division president, Park Yong-in, reportedly stated: "we are currently in a situation where we have to develop two flagship products at the same time." Both articles allege that Samsung's semiconductor teams are expected to "cultivate roots and withstand storms." Industry watchdogs believe that the aforementioned "flagship products" are the Exynos 2500 mobile chipset, and Samsung Electronic's next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone family. Earlier this month, we heard whispers about the much-delayed in-house chip design being readied (with a 2 nm process) for a possible late 2025 launch, inside unannounced Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 devices. Park disclosed anticipated incoming obstacles in 2025: "last year's business division profit was higher than expected, but this was a temporary phenomenon...Looking at the entire business division, there will be monthly surpluses and deficits." Last month, inside sources proposed the notion that foundry investments were slashed in half.
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