(Associated Press via NewsEdge) Samsung offered a bullish outlook on the global semiconductor industry, with a top executive predicting increased demand for chips used in both digital devices and personal computers.
The market for NAND chips, used in digital music players, will rise 22% in 2006 to $13.5 billion from 2005 as companies release new products that use them, projected Hwang Chang-gyu, president of Samsung's semiconductor business.
'The NAND flash market has increased dramatically' since the release last year of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod nano, Hwang told reporters. 'Many digital device makers are planning to introduce new devices soon and the demand for NAND flash is expected to be very large in the second half.'
NAND chips, due to their ability to store data even when power is switched off, are widely used in consumer electronics such as MP3 players and digital cameras. The iPod nano, which utilizes flash memory, was one of last year's most popular digital products.
Samsung is the world's largest memory chip maker and a top producer of consumer electronics, including flat-screen televisions, mobile phone handsets, MP3 players and laptop computers.
© 2006 The Associated Press
© 2006 Dialog, a Thomson business. All rights reserved