Apple orders 100 million 8Gb flash chips in ramp up for new device(s)?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 9th 2009 12:58AM
posted April 9th 2009 12:58AM
Oh Apple, what are you up to? Just like we saw right around this time last year in preparation for Apple's new iPhone 3G and updated iPod touch, Apple is placing huge orders of NAND chips thereby threatening the supply in demand by other tier-one vendors. This time we've got DigiTimes confirming earlier reports that Apple is cornering the market on flash memory -- specifically, the Taiwanese rumor rag is reporting orders of "100 million 8Gb (8 gigabit, not gigabyte) NAND flash chips mostly with Samsung Electronics." That's twice the size of the order reported last year. The tiny memory chips are then recombined during manufacturing into the larger 16GB, 32GB, and so on capacities we expect to find in our handheld consumer electronics. Anyone still doubting new Apple handhelds in June?
100 million? Damn, Apple is going all out.
If those 100million NAND chips were used to make equal numbers of 8GB and 16GB iphones (not even considering ipod touches).. that's only enough for 4.16 million each. Really not that huge a number...
Now if we consider equal numbers of iphone (8GB, 16GB) and ipod touches (8GB, 16GB, 32GB)... that's enough for only 1.25 million each.
I like that this picture is clearly of an older software version. They changed that 3G logo real quick.
@AJ
not 4.16 million [each], 4.16 million TOTAL, and that would be with 16 and 32GB iphones, not 8 and 16
i'm guessing your ipod number is wrong as well as the [each] being wrong again...but i'm too lazy to go figure out what it is at 2:30 in the morning
No, no they are NOT going all out.
This is non-news, guess Engadget had to meet their Apple quota for the week.
Do the math yourself:
Exactly, Gb, NOT GB.
And 100 million 8 gigabit chips is really not that much.
Do the math yourselves:
8 Gb = 1 GB
100 Million 8Gb chips then = 100 Million 1GB chips
So really, that means they have 100 Million GB's to work with.
That means either:
12.5 Million 8 GB devices
or
6.25 million 16 GB devices
or
3.125 million 32 GB devices
or
some combination thereof
That's really not that many devices.
Anyone know what OTHER phones use?
How about Palm's rumored-coming-soon Pre? What does it use?
When I read that in my head, I thought they were going to say "that's twice the size of Texas".
But it doesn't sound as good to say "Almost as fast as other people's competing product W." or "Twice the price for half the benefit - I am rich 2 anyone?" or the much smaller number of "Enough memory components for 6 Million 16GB devices!" .
In all fairness, there is really no choice but to say "100 Million 8Gb chips were bought by Apple". Because no one knows how many devices that is intended to feed. It's fine to calculate various possible configurations, but that's not what was being exchanged... 100 million memory chips were ordered. :)
Now, I don't know that it was responsible to suggest this will threaten the availability to all other companies developing electronic devices. 100 Million may be a small number of chips, in the production market, or it may be a quarter's worth of total capacity in the industry. Until we know capacty, the number is meaningless.
@jeesusfreek:
No, my numbers are correct. Check your math again.
If x is the number of iphones made in each size and if 100millions NAND chips were gong to be used to make an equal number of each model, then
8x + 16x = 100,000,000
x = 4.167 million
Don't forget Apple may want to create pre-boot environment like those Asus notebooks have and thus would run off NAND flash chips.
You make it, I'll buy it Apple.
I'm holding out to update my 1st generation iPhone.
Pretty much the mentality of all you apple lovers isn't it?
I dunno man, if I had a real hard-on for Apple I'd be updating every generation. I have 3 friends with 3G iPhones and they are all having problems. Hopefully if they make drastic improvements I'll pick one up.
But yea good effort on starting an online battle there skipper.
@abe
I wish everyone had that same mindset, just imagine if they actually had to improve with every generation (Microsoft and Apple).
@evan
im waiting to update my zune once they release a new one!!!!!
yeah same man, im glad i didnt get the 3g, it was worth waiting apparently.
@Mike
Or you could just put in the free firmware upgrade that all the Zunes get, and not have to buy a new device every time a new small feature is added.
Sorry, your argument doesn't really work with that one.
I've got a Macbook wheel that I'm willing to part with
"I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple"
Self-fulfilling prophecy.
I love saving up to get a bit of new Apple gear at Christmas, keeps me happy for a few months. I even have a savings acount called then 'Apple Fund', not that much goes in there, about £2 a week. Over the two years that apple actually come out with 'new' stuff rather that the 1.5 versions like the iPod touch 2gen, I can happy save enough to put 70 percent total cost (I'm an iPod touch person, phones don't interest me). Glad Apple are around to put a bit of fun into the whole gadget world, there really is nothing like seeing and holding their major new devices for the first time (if you can pull them off the counter top).
On Christmas Eve every two years I get just a taste of being a kid again, only I've paid for the stuff myself, lol.
@insky
well no, i was refering to a hardware update, rumors say they are working on one soon.
i dunno at 8 gigaBITS it would take quite a few to get me to 32 gigaBYTES
it would take 16 chips.
@ryudeshi
moron
8 gigabits = 1 gigabyte
so 32 x 8 gigabit chip = 32GB
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=1+gigabyte+%3D+%3F+gigabits
yea i realized that before you posted an corrected my other post, i divided by 4 instead of 8 for some reason.
its ok we all make mistakes :D
It's usually easier to just type "1 gigabyte in gigabits"... just feels more "Google-esque".
But, why say "moron"? A bit harsh.. don't you think?
@liquid_fusion
yeah yeah, i'm sorry, I didn't really mean it
suuuppeerr stressful week for grad school..with finals coming up and all.
butt bustin the next two days.
jeesusfreak, using your logic:
http://www.google.com/search?q=32+gigabytes+in+gigabits
You are wrong. It is 256 chips.
@Mitch
Yup, now you actually are a moron - 100 million [ [ [ [ [ 8 GIGABIT ] ] ] ] ] chips. That means, yes, you need 256 Gigabits but since each CHIP is 8 gigabits, you only need 32 x 8 gigbabit chips..exactly as i stated.
Good god you have to be some kind of angry, lonely, sad nerd to start out with "moron" when correction a minor math error on a website comment board..
Good luck with the inevitable court ordered anger management.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The conversation in this part of the room is hilarious. Faulty math and insults. Love it. So needlessly harsh, it's like personality disorder central.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
@utahnkid: It's "correcting" not "correction".... Moron.
Sorry, had to do it. :)
so what is that, like.. 200 Petabytes?
ehh more like 100PB, not sure why I used 4 instead of 8 while converting bits to bytes.
it will be a gigantic phone.
What will the next iPhone's key point be? Storage size? Anyone know?
Hopefully the key point will have something to do with correcting the past generation's uselessness and maybe making their owners seem less like douchebags. G1(G2/Dream) and Zune(software/hardware) 4 Life.
Although it would be surprising, they might make a 64GB iPhone (and they will almost definitely have that size iPod touch later this year), which would be a big selling point for people with large media libraries.
They iPhone was originally marketed as the end all device that encompassed all of your needs, but the starting sizes of 4-8GB hardly replaced a 30GB iPod, much less the 80GB or even 160GB many people are now accustomed to. A $299 64GB, $199 32GB, and $99 16GB iPhone price line (after signing your soul away to the AT&Tichrist, of course) would seem the next logical step.
Maybe it's too soon for the 64GB, but they need to do something big to keep old customers interested in an upgrade. There will be a 32GB version for sure.
@chizenguy5
If you are in fact a real G1/Zune person (hey, aren't those the two mobile 'iKillers' that Apple bulldozed right over in the last few years?), and that comment was meant to express your true beliefs, that's just sad.
The G1 is actually OK, but Zune??? You might as well root for the Apple Newton while you're at it, and keep them both in your fannypack :D. For some things, the battle is just plain over, and there will be no comeback. The social is dead, ladies and gentlemen.
@Mmmm... Dohnuts
That really is the way I feel, I think the iphone serves no other purpose than to cater to trendsters and and be pretty(I do give the Apple design team props). The camera on this thing sucks, mobile me is less than useful, at&t's service is horrible(and I should be in a good area, downtown Chicago), no physical keyboard, and it uses itunes. The G1 connects me directly to my email better than the iphone could ever hope to(even pushed email from my work account), I don't have to install and clunky software on my *PC*, I can use the My Faves feature, not pay thousands a year for service, and most of all stand out in a world full of people trying to blend in.
also@Mmmm... Dohnuts
Oh, and to address the Zune thing, I like it because I get acess to all the organized music I want for $15 a month, and get 10 drm free files a month(yes I do pay for some/most of my music, I support the music industry and more importantlly the artists). So when Apple will gets on board, let me know. The Zune devices may in fact die off after the 3rd gen, but the software will live on, because it's by far the best. I love to hear how defensive Apple fanboys get when they hear anything about any brand other than apple.
@ Chizenguy5
What you are describing is the Zune Marketplace, no the Zune. Like Zune Marketplace, well fair enough, but like the Zune? Time to wake up and smell the pizza man. Haven't you seen Pulp Fiction? Bruce Willis said it best:
"Zune's dead baby, Zune's dead..."
@Chizenguy
You say AT&T service sucks and then praise T-Mobile?
Ok....
@who?
It's highly unlikely that Apple will release a 64GB iPhone right now. The reason why that would be possible with the iPod Touch is because it has to two memory slots, the iPhone only has one. That is why currently the iPhone only goes up to 16GB while the iPod Touch goes up to 32GB.
@chzenguy5 - the fact that you need a G1 *and* a Zune kind of invalidates the comparison in my eyes...
for anyone wondering, 100 million 8 Gb chips makes 100 million gigabytes worth of flash memory,
or spread 50-50 between 16 and 32 GB devices, about 4.2 million devices
6.25 million 16GB devices
or 3.1 32GB devices
sorry, should be
or 6.25 million 16GB devices
or 3.1 million 32GB devices
Ironic how you called Ryudeshi a moron, and then made the same mistake he did.
@AJ
No i didn't? I missed putting the word "million" in
I got all my math right