News reports that Winbond has received orders for 45nm NOR flash memory from Apple in the third quarter
According to industry insiders, Winbond has received orders for Apple's 45nm NOR flash memory and will begin shipping in the third quarter. These orders may help the Taiwan, China based company gain more market share from manufacturers in Chinese Mainland.
Sources said that the recent surge in NOR flash memory manufacturing capacity in Chinese Mainland led to a decline in flash memory prices in the second half of this year, a slight drop of about 5% compared with the first half of this year.
However, as the demand for logic ICs with mature processes has declined, the foundry in Chinese Mainland has converted some of its wafer factory capacity into NOR flash memory, which has affected the market price. Therefore, this adjustment resulted in an increase in the total inventory of NOR flash memory.
The overall demand for NOR has declined, with Winbond, which is mainly focused on consumer and PC applications, being the most affected. However, Winbond predicts that the first quarter of 2024 will be the lowest point of the year, and the second half of the year will continue to surpass the first half. Currently, there is no further downward revision or adjustment in the operational outlook.
Winbond mainly relied on 58nm NOR in the past. The industry believed that it failed to pass the certification of high-end AirPods products because of its large particles, which made Chinese Mainland manufacturers surpass and establish a leading position.
According to sources, Winbond has entered the supply chain for Apple's 2024 new AirPods product as it introduces 45nm process technology into the mass production of NOR chips.
Sources say that Apple's design to change the iPhone Type-C charging specifications requires an additional NOR chip, and Winbond is also expected to take advantage of this.
Winbond refuses to comment on specific customers or orders. It is reported that Winbond's flash memory product line includes NAND flash memory and NOR flash memory. In 2023, it was reported that Winbond stated that the development of the 45nm NOR flash memory process has been completed and is ready to be launched in the market. Currently, apart from Micron, other competitors have not yet launched it.
However, as the demand for logic ICs with mature processes has declined, the foundry in Chinese Mainland has converted some of its wafer factory capacity into NOR flash memory, which has affected the market price. Therefore, this adjustment resulted in an increase in the total inventory of NOR flash memory.
The overall demand for NOR has declined, with Winbond, which is mainly focused on consumer and PC applications, being the most affected. However, Winbond predicts that the first quarter of 2024 will be the lowest point of the year, and the second half of the year will continue to surpass the first half. Currently, there is no further downward revision or adjustment in the operational outlook.
Winbond mainly relied on 58nm NOR in the past. The industry believed that it failed to pass the certification of high-end AirPods products because of its large particles, which made Chinese Mainland manufacturers surpass and establish a leading position.
According to sources, Winbond has entered the supply chain for Apple's 2024 new AirPods product as it introduces 45nm process technology into the mass production of NOR chips.
Sources say that Apple's design to change the iPhone Type-C charging specifications requires an additional NOR chip, and Winbond is also expected to take advantage of this.
Winbond refuses to comment on specific customers or orders. It is reported that Winbond's flash memory product line includes NAND flash memory and NOR flash memory. In 2023, it was reported that Winbond stated that the development of the 45nm NOR flash memory process has been completed and is ready to be launched in the market. Currently, apart from Micron, other competitors have not yet launched it.