China-based white-box handset manufacturers are gearing up the launch of smartphones integrating 16GB NAND flash memory in the third quarter of 2009 in the face of iPhone's possible expansion into the China market, according to sources at IC distributors. Some of the new white-box models offer iPhone-like features, the sources said.
Last week rumors claimed that China Unicom would offer Apple iPhones in China in September, with the 8GB model to be priced at 2,000 yuan (US$60.64). But China Unicom has denied he rumors.
iSuppli in its recent research said that sales of NAND flash memory for use in smartphones are expected to rise by nearly six-fold from 2008 to 2013, buoyed by growing demand for smartphones that combine with the increasing density of NAND flash.
The contract price of 8Gb multi-level cell (MLC) chips went up 5.3% to US$3.56 on average in the first half of August, and the 16Gb MLC segment rose 2.0% to US$4.04, data gathered by inSpectrum show.
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