NAND flash supplies are going to be under massive pressure for the rest of the year, with the second largest supplier, Toshiba, saying it can supply only 70 percent of demand for the rest of the year.

Apple is reported to have secured up to 40 percent of the output of the largest supplier, Samsung, for its upcoming iPod.

Demand for NAND flash is expected to grow 65 percent between now and 2007, according to iSuppli.

In the short-term the situation is critical. ¡§Demand for NAND flash is going to be explosive in the run-up toward Christmas,¡¨ said Analyst Nam Hyung Kim.

One of the factors in that run-up is the launch of a flash-based 4Gbyte iPod. Two other factors are the growth in 3G phones and high-density memory cards. This is expected to keep NAND flash supply short for most of next year.

By: DocMemory
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