eMMC discontinuations - Are you affected?

Samsung’s decision to phase out MLC NAND production by next year will have a considerable impact on B2B industries such as automotive, medical, or industrial control markets as well as embedded and IoT systems.

eMMC is a popular choice for embedded storage due to its affordability, ease of integration, and reliable performance in environments with relatively low to moderate performance requirements. It integrates the memory controller and NAND flash memory into a single package, streamlining integration and reducing costs.

However, due to the price pressure on memory manufacturers in the last two years, the large memory manufacturers are focusing on high-margin memory products and are exiting legacy technologies such as DDR3 and now also eMMC technologies.

Still, no need to panic. The good news is that there are several alternative memory manufacturers out there that commit to longevity and long-term availability. We have at least 6 alternatives in our line card. So you will ask yourself:

Why should you care?

EOL announcements have several implications and this is no exception. There are several questions that you should ask yourself:

• What does it mean for your supply chain? The exit of major manufacturers could lead to shortages and increased prices for eMMC memory modules, affecting production schedules and cost structures. Do you have second and third sources qualified and what is their lead time?

• Do you need to requalify? Some industries require you to set a fixed bill of materials for your product. Transitioning to a different memory product may require requalification. Is now the right time to consider that change?

• What are the cost implications? Scarcity in the market drives up prices which might increase the overall costs of your products. Making arrangements early, helps to secure good deals.

• Should you move to a newer technology? Depending on the lifecycle of your product, this might the right time to evaluate your product designs. Would it benefit from a newer, higher-performing memory? Would that extend its lifetime and maybe even the addressable market share?

While SD Cards, UFS or SSDs might be suitable alternatives in some use cases, it’s certainly not a viable option for all industrial applications.

No matter if you want to explore alternative eMMC suppliers or alternative memory technologies, reach out, we can help. Request a quote or samples now!

And don't miss our webinar on eMMC in Transition in which we cover everything you need to know about the upcoming eMMC discontinuations.