Samsung Electronics has begun the era for ultra-fast memory chips based on Universal Flash Storage (UFS).
Samsung announced on Feb. 26 that it started to mass produce 128 GB UFS-based memory for the first time. In addition to the 128 GB version, 32GB and 64 GB models will also be manufactured. The storage space of the UFS lineup is twice as much as that of the lineup of eMMC (16GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models), and thus external memory cards are unnecessary.
The 128 GB memory is based on the UFS 2.0 standard, the latest standard for internal memory chips, which was developed by a global semiconductor standardization body called the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association. The internal memory chip is 12 times faster than an external memory card in terms of reading data, which has a huge effect on the performance of the system.
In particular, the UFS-based memory can read data 2.7 times faster than eMMC 5.0 chips due to Command Queue, a technology that accelerates the speed of command execution used in SSDs. It consumes 50 percent less power and conducts 14,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random reading, 28 times faster than external memory cards. Hence, it will be possible to be engaged in other activities while watching UHD content on a smartphone without interruptions.
Another characteristic of the UFS-based memory is that it can be stacked directly on top of mobile processors, taking approximately 50 percent less space, as in the case of a new embedded package on package (ePoP) solution unveiled on Feb. 4.