Triggered by the escalating prices of NAND flash memory, smartphone producers are now mulling over the reintroduction of microSD card slots. Since September, apart from High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a comprehensive array of storage solutions—encompassing DRAM, NAND flash memory, Solid State Drives (SSDs), and mechanical hard drives—has experienced persistent price surges and supply constraints. In November, SanDisk revealed that the contract price for NAND flash memory would surge by 50%, exceeding market projections, and there are expectations that contract prices will keep ascending in December.

In light of these developments, smartphone manufacturers are contemplating the resurgence of microSD card slots as a strategy to diminish their dependence on high-capacity NAND flash memory and, consequently, reduce expenses. Presently, several smartphone makers have delayed their procurement processes due to the mounting costs of storage chips, with some inventory levels plummeting to less than three weeks' worth.