BEIJING, May 30 -- Apple computer plans to bust out a 2GB version of the iPod shuffle in June, with a 4GB version to follow in August, the online Asian technology Web site DigiTimes reported Friday.

    DigiTimes reports, however, Samsung and Toshiba to be "aggressively planning to ramp up their output of 8GB NAND flash chips".

    Samsung Electronics was reported to have started volume production of 8Gbit NAND flash memory in April of this year.

    Samsung Electronics has been slashing the price of its 8Gbit NAND flash memory since the beginning of the year, with the original price of US$58 expected to eventually fall to $30, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News reported earlier this week.

    In addition, Samsung has been lowering prices for all of its high-density parts, including 2Gbit, 4Gbit and 8Gbit NAND flash memory, with daily prices falling as much as 3%, the paper said. The company also expects to roll out a 16Gbit part in the second half of this year.

    Toshiba stated it will begin producing 8Gbit NAND flash memory this summer.

    Apple, Toshiba and Samsung declined to comment on this news.

    (Agencies)