NAND flash chip prices have fallen to the levels of two years ago, while SSD prices have hit their sweet spot, according to industry sources. Falling SSD prices are set to drive the adoption of SSDs in notebooks and other consumer computing devices, according to industry sources.

Artificial intelligence (AI), automotive electronics and video surveillance are being identified as the applications set to drive the long-term growth of the SSD market, said the sources.

According to research firm ChinaFlashMarket (CFM), SSD prices have continued their downward trend in September with prices for 120GB models falling US$0.50 to US$23.50. Spot market prices for 120GB SSDs have fallen below US$20, while prices for 240GB ones have dropped to a record low of US$36. Meanwhile, spot prices for 480GB SSDs have slid about US$2 to US$66.

With SSD prices reaching their sweet spot, SSD shipments worldwide are forecast to top 200 million units in 2018, CFM indicated.

In other news, the China Flash Market Summit will be held in Shenzhen on September 19. Memory and storage device vendors including Samsung, Micron, Western Digital and Intel, and major China-based players such as Yangtze Memory Technologies and Shenzhen LongsysElectronics, as well as flash device controller suppliers Silicon Motion Technology and Phison Electronics, will all be participating in the event.