Samsung is overpricing MLC NAND solutions to get rid of the business

Fresh reports from Korea say that Samsung is getting ready to shut down its MLC (Multi-Level Cell) NAND business as it continues to focus on more advanced NAND solutions. Consequently, the company is supposedly attempting to drive MLC NAND customers away by overpricing its chips.

According to The Elec, citing a Samsung client, the Korean tech giant has increased its MLC NAND prices as a way to persuade said client to look for another supplier. Samsung no longer wants to manufacture MLC NAND and aims to stop supplying these chips next month.

Another Samsung client is LG Display. The latter tech giant uses Samsung MLC NAND for 4GB eMMC chips applied to large OLED panels. However, LG Display is also looking for a different supplier to replace Samsung.

MLC NAND is no longer the main driver for the NAND business. Market watchers say that TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND accounts for roughly 62% of worldwide NAND sales.

In other words, NAND technology has moved past Multi-Level Cell solutions, and Samsung is ready to leave it behind. The report says the company will focus more strongly on TLC (Triple-Level Cell) and QLC (Quad-Level Cell) NAND.

Last year, Samsung manufactured the world's first TLC 9th Gen NAND. Several months later, the company became the first to start mass-manufacturing QLC 9th Gen NAND chips.