Buyers of solid-state drives (SSDs) have noticed an interesting trend: the price of SSDs using domestically produced NAND flash memory is gradually decreasing, while Samsung and Kioxia drives are still increasing in price. This price fluctuation is rewriting the rules of the game for domestic storage manufacturers.

1. With its new architecture, Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) has begun mass production of 294-layer 3D NAND flash memory, achieving a storage density of 20Gb/mm², read/write speeds exceeding 7000MB/s, and a yield rate exceeding 90%. Its performance is comparable to mainstream international products.

2. Chips with over 300 layers are planned for release in the second half of 2026. The stacking height is rapidly approaching that of Samsung and SK Hynix, narrowing the technological gap from over a year to within six months.

3. With production capacity doubling and market share surging towards the top three globally, Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) has achieved technological breakthroughs and its production capacity has been steadily increasing. In the first quarter of 2026, YMTC's revenue exceeded 20 billion yuan, doubling its previous figure. Its global market share of flash memory chips has surpassed 10%, very close to the top three globally. To further expand its operations, YMTC, in addition to completing a new factory this year, has planned to build two more. Once all three new factories are operational, total production capacity will more than double.

4. According to data from some institutions, in the third quarter of 2025, YMTC's global shipment share exceeded 13%, firmly closing in on Micron. Once the third phase of its factory is completed, annual production will increase from 1.77 million wafers to approximately 2 million wafers, giving it a strong chance of surpassing Micron and SK Hynix to become the world's third-largest flash memory supplier.

5. The underlying reason is actually the sharp rise in chip prices. The purchase price of the memory used in the iPhone 17 Pro jumped from around $25 in early 2025 to over $70, an increase of more than 180%, while the price of domestically produced chips was 15% to 20% lower.

6. The current chip market is very segmented. High-end chips needed for AI servers are still experiencing skyrocketing prices, but the prices of everyday consumer products have decreased due to increased domestic production capacity and some retailers clearing out inventory. Domestic chips are mainly focused on the consumer market, and lower prices will subsequently lead to price reductions in other models. My advice for buying things is quite straightforward: if you happen to need a hard drive, consider domestically produced chips; their price-performance ratio is usually more than 15% higher than foreign brands.

7. From 64 layers to 294 layers, from less than 1% of the global market share to over 13%, from being restricted to entering Apple's supply chain, domestic storage has accomplished in ten years what others took thirty years to achieve.