Intel’s and Samsung Electronics’ flash market shares lowered in the first quarter of 2003, iSuppli research firm revealed in their note quoted by The Inquirer here. Meanwhile AMD’s and Fujitsu’s shares rose last quarter.

• Nevertheless, Intel’s market share still was the largest in the whole flash industry and accounted for 23.5%.
• The second largest flash supplier on the planet is Samsung with 15.8%. The company also lost some share last quarter due to highly competitive NAND flash market.
• Toshiba is the fourth flash company with 12%.
• Number five position belongs to AMD with 10.5%.
• Fujitsu had 9.1% of the market and that allowed them to occupy the sixth place.
• ST Microelectronics manufactured 7.0% of all flash memory chips last quarter.
• Sharp’s market share is currently 5.5%, it is the eights flash memory supplier on the planet.
• Mitsubishi and Hitachi have nearly equal market parts of 4.6% and 4.2% respectively.
• All other makers produced 7.8% of all flash devices in the Q1 2003.

iSuppli believes that sales of flash memory will account for $8.7 billion this year, up 11% from 2002.