Following our earlier report on a possible iPhone-related Apple media event on September 7, indications within the flash memory supply chain also point to a September launch of the iPhone 5, as well as a related increase in the price of NAND flash chips.
According to a new report from DigiTimes, not only is the iPhone 5 expected to be released in September, but it may well raise the prices of NAND flash memory chips as well due to the increased demand.
Although the prices of flash memory seem to have stabilized recently, some Chinese device makers are nevertheless stockpiling as much inventory as they can get ahead of the expected boost that the iPhone 5 will bring to the market.
As of today, the currently spot price for MLC NAND flash was $3.49 for 32GB and $6.43 for 64GB. Component pricing often fluctuates surrounding product releases from Apple due to Apple’s intense production demand.