China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is stepping in to steady the memory supply chain after a sharp rise in DRAM and mobile memory prices began feeding into smartphones and other consumer electronics.
Qualcomm Chief Executive Cristiano Amon is expected to meet senior executives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix during a recent visit to South Korea, according to industry sources. The discussions are expected to focus on securing memory supplies as well as potential cooperation with Samsung in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, including its 2nm foundry process.
The global retreat from 2D NAND flash production is no longer a possibility but an emerging certainty. As major memory makers exit the segment, tightening supply has driven a sharp surge in prices for low-capacity chips. Recent market chatter suggests that United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) could receive foundry orders for SLC and MLC flash, a move that, if realized, might disrupt what is shaping up to be an increasingly concentrated supply landscape.
