Intel Challenged In Flash Memory Market; Samsung Poised To Take Lead; U.S. company on Tuesday looks to regain momentum with release of new device.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: JAMES DETAR

Intel Corp. Tuesday is set to roll out a new flash memory chip for cell phones and other products, its latest bid to remain No. 1 in this key field against Samsung Group and others.

Intel hopes the device will help it recoup some of the market share it acknowledges it lost this year because of a poorly timed price hike.

Still, the rankings of top flash memory chip vendors could shift a lot in the months ahead, analysts say.

"There's a race in terms of leadership in flash memory," said iSuppli Corp. analyst Betsy Van Hees in San Jose, Calif.

That race has heated up since Korea's Samsung inked a couple of big deals in the last two months. Some analysts say the pacts could vault Samsung into the top spot in flash sales, ahead of Intel and Fasl LLC, a company jointly owned by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Japan's Fujitsu …