Samsung intros 128 GB UFS 2.0 embedded memory for smartphones

Samsung 128 GB UFS 2.0 embedded memory chips — Samsung 128 GB UFS 2.0 memory

The industry’s first 128 GB ultra-fast UFS 2.0 embedded memory for next-gen high-end smartphones has just entered mass production.

by Codrut Nistor, 2015/02/26

While most flagship smartphones currently on the market feature 32 GB or 64 GB of internal memory, they will soon top at 128 GB. A recent press release by Samsung reveals that mass production of the industry's first 128 GB embedded memory based on the UFS 2.0 standard has begun.

Universal Flash Storage 2.0 is "the most advanced JEDEC-compliant, next-generation flash memory storage specification in the world" and can perform up to 19k IOPS random reads, 2.7 times faster than the eMMC 5.0 memory used by contemporary high-end smartphones.

UFS memory uses the same "Command Queue" technology employed by SSDs, writing data at 14k IOPS - no less than 28 times faster than conventional external memory cards. It also uses 50 percent less power than eMMC 5.0 chips that are expected to remain attractive for the mid-range and value market segments.

Next to the 128 GB capacity, the new UFS 2.0 embedded memory is also available in 64 GB and 32 GB versions. Samsung concludes the press release by promising "to set the pace for memory solutions that combine truly high-performance with high capacity."

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Press Release

Samsung Electronics Introduces Industry’s First 128-Gigabyte Universal Flash Storage for Smartphones

Samsung is now mass producing the industry’s first 128-gigabyte (GB) ultra-fast embedded memory based on the much-anticipated Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 standard for next-generation flagship smartphones. The new embedded memory’s UFS 2.0 interface is the most advanced JEDEC-compliant, next-generation flash memory storage specification in the world.

“With our mass production of ultra-fast UFS memory of the industry’s highest capacity, we are making a significant contribution to enable a more advanced mobile experience for consumers,” said Jee-ho Baek, Senior Vice President of Memory Marketing, Samsung Electronics. “In the future, we will increase the proportion of high-capacity memory solutions, in leading the continued growth of the premium memory market.”

UFS memory utilizes “Command Queue,” a technology that accelerates the speed of command execution in SSDs through a serial interface, significantly increasing data processing speeds compared to the 8-bit parallel-interface-based eMMC standard. As a result, Samsung UFS memory conducts 19,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random reading, which is 2.7 times faster than the most common embedded memory for high-end smartphones today, the eMMC 5.0. It also delivers a sequential read and write performance boost up to SSD levels, in addition to a 50 percent decrease in energy consumption. In addition, the random read speed is12 times faster than that of a typical high-speed memory card (which runs at 1,500 IOPS), and is expected to greatly improve system performance.

In the future, Samsung anticipates that UFS will support high-end mobile market needs, while eMMC solutions remain viable for the mid-market, value segments.

For random writing of data to storage, the blazingly fast UFS embedded memory operates at 14,000 IOPS and is 28 times as fast as a conventional external memory card, making it capable of supporting seamless Ultra HD video playback and smooth multitasking functions at the same time, enabling a much improved mobile experience.

Samsung’s new UFS embedded memory comes in 128GB, 64GB and 32GB versions, which are twice the capacity of its eMMC line-up, making it today’s optimal memory storage solution for high-end mobile devices.

In an attempt to provide more design flexibility to global customers, Samsung’s UFS embedded memory package, a new ePoP (embedded package on package) solution, can be stacked directly on top of a logic chip, taking approximately 50 percent less space.

Over the next several years, Samsung will continue to set the pace for memory solutions that combine truly high-performance with high capacity.