Kingston and Samsung are said to be in talks over a partnership on NAND flash. In order to diversify its supply source from long-serving supplier Toshiba, Kingston will increase its ties with Samsung.
Kingston has been securing NAND flash from Toshiba because of cost benefits. Toshiba is the leading chipmaker that produces multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash, whereas Samsung produces single-level cell (SLC) solutions. In 2005, sources estimate that MLC NAND flash was about 30% cheaper than comparable SLC solutions.