Kioxia exec says the AI boom means the era of the cheap 1TB SSD is over —company's NAND supply is sold out for this year and likely through 2027

Kioxia's Memory Business Unit Managing Director, Shunsuke Nakato, states that the era of cheap 1TB SSDs is over due to the AI boom, with the company's NAND supply sold out for 2026 and likely through 2027. The shortage has led to significant price increases for SSDs, with even budget drives seeing hikes. Nakato emphasizes that Kioxia's distribution strategy involves long-term agreements with clients rather than auctioning to the highest bidder. The company's factories in Yokkaichi and Kitakami aim to address the global NAND supply shortage. Consumers are advised to act promptly on storage upgrades due to the ongoing price surge in SSDs.