The total worldwide shipments of branded SSDs bound for the channel (retail) market in 2019 reached 131 million units, showing an increase of almost 60% from 2018, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. This result also indicated a further and substantial growth in SSD adoption. Kingston, ADATA, and Tigo remained first, second, and third place respectively in the global ranking of branded SSD module makers (excluding NAND Flash suppliers) by shipment market share for retail SSDs.
UMC has announced today (Oct. 22) that the legal case against the company filed by the U.S. Justice Department for stealing trade secrets could now be resolved as soon as possible, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. Following close negotiation, both sides appear to have agreed on a reasonable settlement of US$60 million, meaning the case is likely closing in on a quick resolution, and UMC will be focusing more on its foundry business in the future. At the moment, this resolution is pending on an approval by the court.
SK Hynix has announced today (Oct. 20) that it will acquire Intel’s NAND Flash business and Dalian-based Fab 68, which is dedicated to 3D NAND Flash production, for US$9 billion. In accordance with regulatory laws and policies, SK Hynix will apply for permission from governments in China, the U.S., and South Korea, with the acquisition expected to conclude in March 2025. TrendForce indicates that the merger between Intel’s NAND Flash business and SK Hynix will allow the latter to benefit from the complementary technologies, especially in the enterprise SSD market. Broadly speaking, this marks the next chapter of reorganization for the NAND Flash industry.
TrendForce today (Oct. 16) held its Annual Forecast 2021 event at the NTUH International Convention Center. Key summaries of the event can be found here.
The memory market (including DRAM and NAND Flash) is still in a state of oversupply in 4Q20, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. In light of recent U.S. sanctions against Huawei, other smartphone brands have been actively stocking up on memory products in an effort to capture Huawei’s lost market shares, but this procurement momentum is insufficient to improve the lethargic state of the memory market. In addition, as memory demand from the server industry has yet to make a noticeable recovery, overall memory ASP is expected to remain weak in 4Q20 and decrease by about 10% QoQ.
