Flash Memory : Overview Of Flash Memory Storage Capacity

6. Flash Memory Capacity

The common flash memory parts (individual internal components or "chips") range widely in capacity from kilobits to hundreds of megabits each.

Toshiba and SanDisk have developed a NAND flash chip capable of storing 8 gigabits (1 gigabyte) of data using MLC (multi-level cell) technology, capable of storing 2 bits of data per cell.

In September 2005, Samsung Electronics, by far the world's largest manufacturer of NAND flash with 40% of bit market share, announced that it had developed the world's first 16 gigabit and later 32 gigabit NAND flash memory chip. In March 2006, the same company announced memories with the capacity of 32 gigabyte, essentially in the same order of magnitude as smaller laptop harddrives.

With the introduction of Samsung's 16 gigabit chips came the iPod nano, a flash device available in 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB capacities, which use one or two 1 gigabyte Toshiba chips and one 4 gigabyte Samsung chips respectively, according to the autopsies done by Ars Technica, Systm and Impress Direct.

In efforts to focus on increasing capacities, 64 MB and smaller capacity flash memory has been largely discontinued, 128 MB capacity flash memory is being given a large discount to attract entry level buyers (people who do not generally require one, or use it only once in a long time), 256 MB capacity flash memory is the normal storage space for any people who do not extensively use flash memory, while more and more people are adopting 512 MB or 1 GB flash drives. 2 and 4 GB flashdrives are still rather expensive for a normal consumer.

IBM has substituted flash memory with a hard drive mechanism that can fit inside the shell of a CompactFlash card so it can last longer, it has a capacity of 1 GB and more.