Analysts have noted that NAND flash prices rose approximately sixty percent in the first quarter of 2026 alone, and that the shortage is expected to persist through 2026 and potentially into 2027. Sony is the first major camera media manufacturer to withdraw from the market. It is, analysts noted, unlikely to be the last. SanDisk, ProGrade, Lexar, and Angelbird all source flash components from the same global supply chain.

For the first time in fifteen years, he decided to "raid the archives," hunting for a card from a wedding delivered two years prior that he might finally feel safe reformatting. As he reached into his storage system, the shelving gave way. An estimated ten plastic bins of loose cards and over a hundred sleeve-style organizers cascaded down. Along with nearly a thousand cards that had been "neatly" piled on top of each other, the resulting avalanche of silicon and plastic buried George, knocking him unconscious.