Micron unveils UFS 4.0 chips for smartphones with 2x performance and better efficiency

Micron has announced the first shipments of its UFS 4.0 storage chips for modern smartphones that offer fast startup, snappy app launches, and quick video processing. The new chips are built on Micron's 232-layer 3D NAND memory and offer capacities of up to 1TB. The manufacturer also claims its "highly configurable firmware" combined with technological improvements delivers unmatched performance for flagship smartphones.

Micron UFS 4.0 storage delivers the industry’s fastest performance1 for flagship smartphones with fast bootup, speedy video downloads, instant access to users’ photo galleries and rapid app launches.

Micron UFS 4.0 flash storage is custom-built on advanced 232-layer 3D NAND technology, low-power controller, available in capacities up to 1TB. Our best-in-class UFS 4.0 storage enables exceptional end user experiences in flagship smartphones.

Micron's UFS 4.0 chips use triple-level cells (TLC) with 100% write and 75% increased read bandwidth, resulting in up to 4,000MB/s sequential write and 4,300MB/s sequential read speeds. Micron boasts its new six-plane NAND architecture (memory cell arrays stacked in more layers) that boosts random read throughput, a critical spec for increasing the overall responsiveness and faster loading times. This architecture will be available on devices using 512GB and 1TB UFS 4.0 chips, as the 256GB configuration uses quad-plane NAND.

However, it is not all about speed. The new memory promises a 25% increase in energy efficiency, ensuring your smartphone is not draining its battery faster due to performance uplifts. Customers can expect 15% faster app launches, 20% faster bootup speeds, and 25% better power efficiency when compared with UFS 3.1 storage solutions. Also, Micron's UFS 4.0 storage delivers 10% better write latency when compared with what other manufacturers offer (likely Samsung's UFS 4.0 chips announced in 2022).

Micron promises to start mass-producing its new UFS 4.0 storage chips in the second half of 2023, giving smartphone makers three storage configurations: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. In addition to flagship phones, Micron's new storage will make it to cars, computing systems, and other devices that require low-power memory with high performance and consistent reliability. You can learn more about the new UFS 4.0 storage from Micron on the manufacturer's official website.

Source