Expectations of rising storage prices are growing in the memory market: TrendForce predicts that contract prices for NAND Flash will increase by 33-38% in Q1 2026 compared to the previous quarter amid shortages and a shift in capacity toward server segment demand.
Separately, for the corporate segment, Nomura Securities (according to industry media reports) admits that SanDisk may raise prices for high-capacity 3D NAND for enterprise SSDs by more than 100% quarter-on-quarter in March 2026, which effectively means a doubling. However, a direct transfer of this dynamic to retail SSDs for PCs is not guaranteed — the segments are linked by production chains but differ in terms of contract structure and retail inventories.
There are no confirmed open sources confirming statements that hard drives will become “virtually unavailable” by March 2026. However, the HDD market is also becoming more tense: there have been reports of a rise in HDD contract prices of approximately 4% q/q in Q4 2025 and expectations of further pressure due to demand from data centers.
In Europe, the premium Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe SSD is listed on price aggregators at around €153.99 in January 2026, while the mass-market WD Blue SN5000 1TB is listed at €119.99. If the “x2” scenario partially reaches the consumer segment, these levels could shift to around €240-320 per 1TB, depending on the model and supply channels.
In the US, the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB was priced at around $139.99 at major retailers, and the 8TB Seagate IronWolf HDD was priced at $199.99 on Newegg (higher at some retailers). With memory costs doubling and a persistent shortage, the upper price levels may become the “new normal,” but the speed of transfer to retail will depend on inventory levels and promotional activity.
In China, according to public displays and promotional materials, the WD Blue SN580 1TB was priced at around 405 yuan, and the Seagate IronWolf Pro 8TB was priced at around 1975 yuan at the end of December 2025. As the shortage intensifies, a growth scenario of tens of percent seems more realistic as a “base case,” while “x2” is more of a risk for individual corporate positions and periods of peak demand.
