There is no denying that Samsung's EVO Series is facing stiff competition as competitors close the gap in 3-bit 3D flash technology. For the first time Toshiba/SanDisk and Intel/Micron have 3-bit 3D flash that can compete with Samsung's 3-bit V-NAND on the performance front. That said, Samsung is in no danger of losing the flash-based performance crown anytime soon. The reason? 2-bit V-NAND.

While other fabs are abandoning 2-bit flash production in favor of 3-bit, Samsung remains committed to furthering their 2-bit V-NAND technology because it gives them a perpetual advantage on the performance front. 3-bit flash can never deliver performance or endurance that is equivalent to 2-bit provided the underlying technology is also equivalent.