Apple’s iPhone is the biggest user of NAND flash memory. According to a research analyst, each iPhone in 2010 will use approximately “35.2GB” of NAND memory, a figure that is impossible since the 3G-S model comes in 16 and 32Gb capacities only.

iPhone shipments are going to be in the 33 million range for this year, so a large portion of NAND supply will go to Apple’s device. If a 4G model with larger storage is launched in 2010, and it is very possible, then flash memory will be scarce for other gadgets that use the same form of technology. Unlike other smartphones, the iPhone does not have an external memory slot, so Apple’s phone has to contain far more on-board NAND memory than Android, Symbian, and Windows Mobile devices.

The iPad and the iPod are two other gear that demand much of the overall NAND production. If the iPad turns out to be a hot commodity, then there will be that much less supply for other manufacturers to use.

Source: Digitimes