Kioxia's 2026 NAND Flash Capacity Fully Booked

The sharp rise in SSD prices is no longer limited to high-end models—it is now hitting entry-level consumer SSDs as well. According to Shunsuke Nakato, General Manager of Kioxia's Memory Business, the era of ultra-cheap 1TB SSDs is effectively over, at least until the current AI-driven demand cools down.

Nakato confirmed that Kioxia's production capacity for 2026 is already fully allocated, stating plainly that “the age of 1TB SSDs priced around ¥7,000 (about US$45) has ended.” His remarks reflect a broader shift in the storage market, where strong AI-related demand has fundamentally reshaped pricing dynamics.

In fact, since late 2023 or early 2024, the market has not seen 1TB SSD prices fall below the US$50 mark. SSD pricing began recovering in 2024 and accelerated sharply in 2025. Today, even the most affordable 1TB SATA SSDs are selling for around US$73, representing an increase of more than 50% compared with the price lows seen in 2023.

As expected, NAND flash manufacturers are benefiting the most from the ongoing supply tightness. Kioxia's output for 2026 is already spoken for, and the company expects the current supply-demand imbalance to continue through at least 2027.

Rather than relying on auctions or first-come-first-served allocation models, Kioxia has adopted a relationship-driven approach to capacity planning. Nakato emphasized that production cannot be ramped arbitrarily simply because demand is high. Instead, the company works closely with long-term partners to establish annual supply plans and allocates output accordingly.

On the manufacturing side, Kioxia believes its facilities in Yokkaichi and Kitakami will play a key role in easing global NAND constraints. The Yokkaichi plant leverages AI and IoT technologies to collect roughly 50TB of production data per day, helping optimize yields and operational efficiency. Meanwhile, the Kitakami site is expected to move toward full-scale production of Kioxia's eighth-generation BiCS Flash (BiCS8), further strengthening its advanced NAND roadmap.

For engineers, system designers, and storage enthusiasts alike, the message is clear: SSD pricing is entering a new phase, shaped less by short-term market swings and more by structural demand from AI and next-generation computing workloads.