The flagship P9 and mainstream P7 arrive as a broader bout of “chipflation” spreads from memory chips used in AI servers into consumer electronics.
NAND flash, the memory technology used in solid-state drives, has remained undersupplied throughout 2026 as manufacturers prioritize fast-growing AI and data-center demand while keeping capacity expansion limited. Market researcher TrendForce expects NAND contract prices to rise another 10 percent to 15 percent in the third quarter.
Samsung introduced the P9 and P7 at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, with both adopting the high-speed USB4 interface. The products will roll out globally, including in South Korea, starting around the end of August and into September.
Samsung said the P9 is also the world's first 8-terabyte USB4 portable SSD capable of reaching 4,000 MB/s. It supports direct recording of 12K video and targets professional creators working with large RAW images and ultra-high-resolution footage.
The performance gains, however, come as storage costs have moved sharply higher.
The 1TB P9 carries a recommended price of 505,000 won ($357) in South Korea, more than three times the 165,000 won launch price of the 1TB T9 in 2023. The comparison is not like-for-like because the new flagship offers substantially higher speeds and a newer interface, but it illustrates how much further up the price ladder Samsung's premium portable storage has moved.
The P9 is priced at 966,000 won for 2TB, 2.01 million won for 4TB and 4.01 million won for 8TB. The more mainstream P7 starts at 431,000 won for 1TB and reaches 3.40 million won for the 8TB model.
The higher prices come against an unusually favorable market for memory producers.
AI infrastructure investment has sharply increased demand for high-capacity storage, while NAND makers are directing more capacity toward higher-margin enterprise SSDs. TrendForce said cloud and server storage remain the main growth engine for NAND, while elevated component costs are already weighing on demand from consumer electronics makers.
The industry's pricing power has therefore shifted markedly from the prolonged memory downturn that previously pushed NAND suppliers to cut production.
For consumers, the result is an uncomfortable trade-off: faster storage is becoming increasingly useful as AI-generated content, high-resolution video and games swell in size, just as the chips needed to store that data become more expensive.
The P7 is aimed at broader everyday use and is compatible with devices ranging from desktops and laptops to smartphones, game consoles and cameras. It has passed two-meter drop tests as well as shock and vibration durability testing.
Both the P7 and P9 will be offered in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB capacities.
The price could prove a hurdle even among consumers already familiar with Samsung's storage products.
“Samsung SSDs have a very strong reputation in Korea, and their quality is widely trusted, so I have high expectations for the new products,” said Kim, a Samsung user in his 40s. “But I'm concerned about how much the prices have gone up.”
AJP Takeaways- Samsung Electronics unveiled its P9 and P7 portable SSDs with USB4, with the flagship P9 delivering read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/s, about twice those of its predecessor.
- The new SSDs arrive amid “chipflation,” as AI and data-center demand keeps NAND flash supply tight and TrendForce forecasts another 10 percent to 15 percent rise in NAND contract prices in the third quarter of 2026.
- Samsung's 1TB P9 is priced at 505,000 won in South Korea, while the 8TB model costs 4.01 million won, highlighting the higher cost of premium consumer storage as the global memory market tightens.
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