SECURE DIGITAL MEMORY CARD MARKET ANALYSIS

Secure Digital (SD) is a proprietary non-volatile memory card format, which is developed by the SD Card Association for the use of portable devices. SD memory card is typically used in various electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, and other handheld devices. Rising advancements in NAND technology has increased the adoption of SD memory cards. Many companies are incorporating novel features to the SD cards, in order to attract customers and increase sales. These companies are adding innovative features such as memory-expansion options, free software, and waterproof SD cards.

The global secure digital (SD) memory card market is estimated to be valued at US$ 8973.8 million in 2021 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 0.9% over the forecast period (2021-2028).

Recent Developments:

In September 2021, Samsung has launched new EVO Plus and PRO Plus memory card families that are specially designed for professionals and content creators, videographers and content creators.

In April 2020, Kingston Digital Inc, has launched KC2500 its next generation M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD. That are specially designed for desktop, work stations, and high performance computing devices. 

In March 2020, Kingston Digital Inc, has launched DC1000M, a new U.2 data center NVMe PCIe SSD. This card is designed to support wide range data intensive applications such as artificial intelligence, HPC, cloud computing.

Statistics:

Figure 1. Global Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card Market Value (US$ Bn), by Region, 2020

Asia Pacific held dominant position in the global Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card market in 2020, accounting for 41.3% share in terms of Value, followed by Europe and North America, respectively.

Market Dynamics- Drivers

Growing technological advancements are expected to drive growth of the global secure digital (SD) memory card market during the forecast period. Imaging technology has enhanced over the years significantly. New camera modules are equipped with advanced imaging technologies that allow users to capture images or videos in high-resolution formats such as UHD and FHD, which requires high storage capacities. For instance, in 2014, Panasonic Corporation launched a UHD digital camcorder that can record videos in 4K, 2K, and other HD formats.

Rising seasonal sales of mobile devices are expected to propel the global secure digital (SD) memory card market growth over the forecast period. Increasing the adoption of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, especially during seasonal sales due to discounts offered by various manufacturers is expected to drive demand for SD memory cards.

Market Opportunities

Growing adoption of wearable devices can present lucrative growth opportunities. Increasing adoption of smart wearable devices such as smartwatches and the head-mounted displays is boosting the demand for secure digital memory cards. For instance, in 2014, iBerry launched Auxus RIST Smartwatch, its first smartwatch, which includes an expandable memory card slot Market players can capitalize on these opportunities and gain a competitive edge in the market.

Increasing demand for action cameras can provide major business opportunities. Extreme sports are becoming popular among youth across the globe. This, in turn, is expected to increase adoption of action cameras to capture these adventures. For instance, in 2015, GoPro launched GoPro Hero 4, a small-sized action camera, which includes an expandable micro SD card slot that supports up to 64GB capacity.

Market Trends

Major manufacturers in the market are laying emphasis on embedding wireless technologies such as NFC and Wi-Fi in SD memory cards, in order to expand their functionality. For instance, in 2015, Toshiba launched the world’s first SDHC memory card with built-in Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality that enables users to preview card content and get information about spare storage capacity by tapping it on an NFC-enabled smartphone.

SD card manufacturers are focused on introducing SD memory cards with extended life spans and that can sustain extreme temperatures. These are primarily used in certain industrial and automotive applications such as in-dash entertainment systems and dashboard cameras. For instance, in 2015, Panasonic launched an SD memory card that can operate at temperatures between -40 ?C and +85 ?C for industrial applications such as POS terminal, set-top boxes, and surveillance systems.

Figure 2. Global Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card Market Share, By Revenue Model, 2020

Key Takeaways of the Graph:

• The 32 GB SD card held dominant position in the market and accounted for 31.4% share in the global secure digital (SD) memory card market in 2020. The segment is expected to reach US$ 2954.5 million in 2028, owing to the increasing sales of mobile phones across the globe.

Market Dynamics- Restraints

High selling price of new products is expected to restrain growth of the global secure digital (SD) memory card market during the forecast period. SD card manufacturers invest significantly in research and development activities, in order to introduce novel products in the market. These new products are more expensive as compared to existing ones, which in turn, is expected to restrain growth of the global secure digital (SD) memory market during the forecast period. For instance, in 2014, SanDisk launched the world’s first 512GB SD memory card with a hefty price tag of US$ 799.

Declining prices of NAND flash memory is expected to hamper the global secure digital (SD) memory card market growth over the forecast period. Declining ASP of NAND-based flash memory products and intense competition in the market is the major factor hindering adoption of SD memory cards. Such factors are expected to hinder profit margins of manufacturers significantly. For instance, Micron’s ASP per NAND Flash GB declined significantly from US$ 12.4 in 2006 to US$ 0.60 in 2014.

Competitive Section

Key players operating in the global secure digital (SD) memory card market are PNY Technologies, Inc., SanDisk Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Transcend Information Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., ADATA Technologies Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Micron Technology, Inc., and Kingston Technology Corporation.

Key Developments

1. Key players in the market are focused on product launches, in order to expand product portfolio. For instance, in February 2019, PNY Technologies, Inc. introduced a new range of memory cards with size ranging from 16GB to 512GB.
2. Major companies in the market are involved in product development, in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in February 2019, SanDisk Corporation introduced the world’s fastest 1TB UHS-I micro SD flash memory card.