Memory giants are focusing on process transitions rather than simply pursuing aggressive capacity expansion, as they accelerate the phase-out of legacy products and shift toward more advanced NAND offerings. According to Sisa Journal, Samsung, after beginning 8th-generation V-NAND (V8) production in late March at its Xi’an facility, has now started constructing cleanrooms for its V9 NAND transition at the same site.
Industry observers cited by the report noted that V6 NAND production at Xi’an has effectively entered a wind-down phase, following the completion of its transition investment from 128-layer V6 to 236-layer V8 NAND on March 30.
At the same Xi’an site, Samsung is now moving ahead with its next upgrade. As highlighted by Sisa Journal, the company plans to complete investment in 286-layer V9 NAND within the year and proceed with mass production preparations. Full-scale output is targeted for 2027, with V8 and V9 expected to run in parallel during the transition period, as per the report.
The Xi’an facility remains a key NAND production hub, accounting for around 40% of Samsung’s global output, Sisa Journal reports. While the V9 upgrade is still in the preparatory stage, investment momentum is expected to accelerate in the second half of this year, the report adds.
Against this backdrop of intensifying global competition and Samsung’s ongoing NAND technology transition, ET News reports that China is closing the gap with Korean players as it moves toward 300-layer NAND mass production, supported by government policies and localized equipment supply chains.
Meanwhile, V10 NAND production is being prioritized for the domestic market, though uncertainty remains. According to ET News, Samsung had planned as recently as last year to establish its V10 production line in the first half of 2026 and begin mass production in the second half. However, purchase orders have yet to ramp up in any meaningful way.
According to TrendForce, combined revenue of the world’s top five NAND Flash suppliers surged 83.7% QoQ to over US$38.9 billion in the first quarter, driven by strong enterprise SSD demand from CSPs. Among them, Samsung posted US$13.51 billion in NAND revenue, up 104.7% QoQ—the fastest growth among the top five—expanding its market share from 28% to 31.6%. It was followed by SK hynix and Kioxia, with global market shares of 17.6% and 13.9%, respectively.
