KIOXIA's UFS 5.0 flash storage will bring next-gen speeds to next-gen smartphones

UFS 5.0 is set to become the new standard for embedded flash storage in next-gen mobile devices, including high-end smartphones. Delivering the speed and performance required for on-device AI and other hardware-intensive workloads, UFS 5.0's new M-PHY version 6.0 introduces a new mode that can theoretically support speeds of up to 46.6 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) per lane.

2

And with that, compact next-gen devices with UFS 5.0 flash storage should be able to achieve read/write performance of around 10.8 GB/s (10,800 MB/s) across two lanes. And with that, even though UFS 5.0 is still being standardized by JEDEC, KIOXIA has begun shipping evaluation samples of UFS 5.0 flash memory to chipset vendors.

These samples feature a custom in-house controller for UFS 5.0 alongside KIOXIA's groundbreaking 8th-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory, with CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology to boost power efficiency, performance, and density. With a compact 7.5 x 13mm size and capacities of 512GB and 1 TB, these samples are all about flexibility and suitability for a wide range of devices and applications.

Selected vendors will evaluate the performance and other aspects of UFS 5.0-powered flash storage, alongside conducting interoperability testing.

"KIOXIA continues to drive innovation in embedded flash memory with the development of UFS 5.0 solutions designed for next-generation mobile applications," said Maitry Dholakia, vice president, Memory Business Unit, KIOXIA America, Inc. "By delivering the high speeds and performance required for advanced on-device AI and providing early samples of high-capacity, high-speed solutions, we are helping customers accelerate the development and validation of future-ready smartphones."