In the fast moving world of technology and memory chips, Samsung is taking huge strides as it announced the commencement of mass production of industry’s first ever 16 GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM. Based on the most advanced third generation 10 nm process node (1z), the new Samsung memory is mass produced using the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, which will provide the largest capacity and highest speed in mobile RAMs.
The new memory chips will be produced on the company’s new and the world’s largest scale semiconductor production line, which scales up to about 16 soccer fields.
Jung-bae Lee, executive vice president of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics said, “The 1z-based 16Gb LPDDR5 elevates the industry to a new threshold, overcoming a major developmental hurdle in DRAM scaling at advanced nodes”.
The 16GB LPDDR5 is 16 times faster than its predecessor 12 GB LPDDR5, with speeds of speeds of 6,400 MB/s and 5,550 MB/s respectively. Samsung says that the LPDDR5 can transfer about 10 5GB-sized full-HD movies, or 51.2GB of data, in one second. Currently, the 12 GB LPDDR5 is found in the latest flagship class mobile phones, and is still not a common feature. Thus, this move can place the South Korean company as the frontrunner of the mobile RAM race.
Due to the use of the first commercial 1z process, this LPDDR5 package is also 30% thinner, allowing smartphones to pack more functions and hardware into slimmer designed phones. This will give consumers chance to enjoy the full potential of 5G and AI features in upcoming smartphones.
Samsung says it will look to bolster its presence in the flagship smartphone market in 2021 by delivering the first 1z based 16GB LPDDR5 package to global smartphone makers. It also looks to expand the memory’s offering in the automotive industry.
The new memory chip by Samsung can also put to-be-announced Apple’s iPhone 12 in the shadows, as rumours suggest that the company’s latest entry in the smartphone market will still have only 6 Gigs of RAM.
