Asian Semiconductor

March 31, 2009 06:52 PM

Seoul (Korea Newswire) March 31, 2009 06:52 PM — According to the DRAMeXchange market survey results, NAND Flash vendors kept controlling output and will increase high density chips in 2Q09.Those vendors expects NAND Flash contract price to hit US$ 3.5 recently. 

The NAND Flash vendors will continue to control output in order to keep driving the chip price up to surpass its chip cost after the effect of quarter-end inventory lowering in March is gone. Since the major process technology portion of the 16 Gb MLC production is migrating from 5x nm to 4x nm in 1H09, NAND Flash vendors also hope the future contract price can gradually increase and eventually surpass US$ 3.5. It is expected that the 16 Gb MLC price can remain at the current level in the short run with better spot market atmosphere and the adjustment of product mix strategy in 2Q09. 

NAND Flash vendors plan to increase their system client shipment portions of high density chips in 2Q09 in order to meet the possible shipment plans of the NAND Flash end application clients in the beginning of 3Q09. Therefore, according to DRAMeXchange, memory card and UFD client shipment portions will decrease and this may provide support to the price of mid to low density chips 

With the rising cost of NAND Flash, down stream clients must gradually increase their end product prices to reflect the uptrend of their average inventory cost. Hence the memory card price could also gradually increase with the rising cost of NAND Flash in the past two months, but the 1Q09 total market demand is still insipid. The downstream clients still hope the NAND Flash makers can increase the price gradually so that the price can be adjusted smoothly from upstream to downstream, buffing the negative effect of slowing content per system growth, and create a win-win result for both upstream and downstream makers.

Samsung Digital Imaging Launching, 13 Premium Compact Digital Cameras for First Half

Seoul (Korea Newswire) March 31, 2009 12:01 PM — Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. (Chief Executive Officer SangJin Park; www.samsungcamera.com) today announced plans to strengthen its compact digital camera lineup with a range of premium devices featuring enhanced performance, user convenience and design.  

Since the launch of the new company in February, Samsung Digital Imaging has been focusing on developing high-performance camera products that feature enhanced functions and are easy to use, based on extensive consumer analysis and market segmentation strategies. Thanks to these efforts, the company has proudly unveiled 13 new products. 

The new devices offer innovative features and exceptional functionality aimed at further boosting user convenience. Among the lineup, the WB500 and ST50 devices have already received the 2009 Innovation Award at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Owing to their outstanding design and performance, the WB500 and ST50 garnered great attention during CES 2009 in January and photo imaging exhibition PMA 2009 in March. They have already been well received in several markets, and are available at Best Buy in the U.S. and through specialty camera retailers in Europe. 

With world-first features and innovative functions, the lineup offers a unique user experience only available from Samsung cameras. Notable functions across the lineup include the ultra-wide-angle 24mm lens and 10x optical zoom (WB550/WB500); a 3-inch AMOLED screen (WB1000); Smart Auto technology that has 11 optimized picture pre-settings such as Night, Snow, and Self Portrait; a Full Manual Mode (WB1000) that enables the user to configure settings such as shutter speed, aperture, and exposure; a touch screen with haptic feedback (ST10); and Smart Face Detection (ST10/PL10) that remembers the faces of people whose pictures are frequently taken. 

The Samsung Digital Imaging lineup also features innovation in design. The VLUU ST50 offers a 16.6mm ultra-slim and stylish design with a metallic exterior, while the VLUU WB1000, includes a large, clear 3-inch AMOLED screen, convenient, wheel-shaped smart control dials and classic mini dashboards that show the remaining battery life and memory capacity. 

Another strength of the new lineup is the compatibility with other Samsung devices including TVs, printers and PCs, so users can enjoy easy and reliable connectivity. Samsung will also offer cameras packaged with notebook computers, digital picture frames, MP3 players and external hard disks. 

“The product philosophy of Samsung Digital Imaging is to create digital camera products that enable users of all types to easily and conveniently take good pictures,” said SangJin Park, Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Digital Imaging. “The camera industry is experiencing difficulties because of the global economic downturn, however, we will turn this crisis into an opportunity and transform Samsung Digital Imaging into a leading digital camera maker based on our technology, expertise and speediness as an independent company.” 

Samsung Digital Imaging established a sales structure based on the global sales network of Samsung Electronics last year. It has drawn up plans to increase its global market share to 12.5% through its premium compact digital camera lineup. 

About Samsung Digital Imaging 

Samsung Digital Imaging Co. Ltd. is a leader in photo imaging technology, digital cameras and optical devices. The company offers a range of high-performance 

digital compact and DSLR cameras, introducing cutting-edge features to meet consumer needs. Samsung began developing film cameras in 1979 and has led the 

growth of the digital imaging market through its advanced technology and innovation. For more information, please visit www.samsungcamera.com. 

About Samsung Electronics 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$105 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of two main business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Media Contact   Kiyun Park  Samsung Electronics  +82 31 277 4375  kiyun.park@samsung.com