Global demand for NAND flash is expected to drastically increase due to fast growing demand for eMMCs, SSDs (solid-state drives) and Wi-Fi wireless mobile storage devices, according to sources with memory product makers.

More than 600 million smartphones will be shipped globally in 2012 based on projections by market survey companies and if eMMC penetration reaches 60%, there will be demand for 360 million eMMCs, the sources indicated. Some market survey companies forecast global demand for 400-500 million eMMCs used in smartphones in 2012, the sources noted.

The adoption of SSDs for ultrabooks will take off in 2012, the sources noted. Although SSD cost has yet to fall to US$1/GB, NAND flash prices are expected to drop much in 2013 due to more advanced manufacturing processes, with SSDs eventually becoming the mainstream storage for ultrabooks, the sources said.

Wi-Fi wireless mobile storage devices, such as Wi-Drive launched by Kingston Technology and StoreJet Cloud launched by Taiwan-based Transcend Information, are NAND flash applications that see increasing demand and will be extended from iOS to Android operating systems in 2012, the sources indicated.

Capacities of a Wi-Fi wireless mobile storage device are 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, while SSDs used in ultrabooks range from 64GB to 256GB, the sources noted. An eMMC used in a smartphone is expected to have a storage capacity of 16GB at least in 2012, the sources indicated.

For NAND flash manufacturing, the 19nm process is expected to be increasingly mature in 2012, and this will help reduce NAND flash production cost and broaden its application, the sources noted.