3CQ22 HDD Capacity Shipped Declines 11% to 284EB, Units Off 14% to 38 Million

This is an abstract of SDAS: HDD Information Service
3CQ22 Quarterly Update – Executive Summary, dated October 28, 2022, by Trendfocus, Inc.

3CQ22 HDD Capacity Shipped Decline 11% to 284EB,
Units Off 14% to 38 Million

Nearline capacity drops to 222EB, -13% Q/Q
while units fall 22% over the same period

Seagate‘s capacity shipments fell a sharp 24% Q/Q to 118.18EB, ceding the top capacity share position it has held since 2020. The company’s unit shipments of 15.71 million HDDs continued to lead the industry, despite falling 21% Q/Q. Nearline shipments (reported in 3.5″ enterprise) plunged 32% Q/Q to 5.85 million while capacity shipped in that segment of 90.46EB dropped 27% sequentially. Total enterprise HDDs fell 33% Q/Q to 6.78 million with 2.5″ performance enterprise tumbling 43% from the prior quarter to 0.93 million units. Total HDD unit share dropped 360 basis points sequentially to 40.9%. Average capacity of 7.5TB dipped slightly Q/Q due to the reduced enterprise HDD share of total units shipped in 3CQ22.

Toshiba posted a 3% Q/Q capacity shipment increase to 37.15EB as total units of 8.01 million slipped 3% over the same period. The company’s nearline units held steady, rising less than 1% Q/Q to 2.10 million while nearline capacity shipments of 27.81EB increased 3%. Performance enterprise dropped 25% Q/Q to 0.51 million units reflecting widespread enterprise OEM inventory corrections slowed by weak end demand for systems. HDD unit share of 20.9% rose 230 basis points Q/Q. HDD average capacity of 4.6TB increased slightly Q/Q with an increased capacity mix and steady sequential shipment volumes of nearline HDDs.

Western Digital‘s capacity shipments of 128.80EB in 3CQ22 held flat Q/Q as unit shipments of 14.67 million dropped 11% over the same period. Nearline HDD unit shipments fell 16% Q/Q to 6.13 million, but a sharp rise in average nearline capacity to 16.9TB resulted in a less than 1% reduction in capacity shipments to 103.85EB. Average HDD capacity of 8.8TB jumped 1TB Q/Q due to the increased mix of high-capacity nearline units shipped. Total unit share lifted 130 basis points sequentially to 38.2% and for the quarter, the manufacturer recaptured the top nearline unit and exabyte share position for the first time since late 2019.

3CQ22 WW HDD shipments
(units in million)