Samsung's New LPDDR4 Mobile Memory Chip Paves Way for 4GB Smartphones
Regardless of which smartphone we test, it seems that memory bandwidth is always something of a concern or bottleneck. Even the world's most powerful smartphones could stand to benefit from more memory, particularly now that 64-bit processing has made its way to the mobile arena, and Samsung is well aware of that. So, in order to align the sides a bit better, the company has developed the industry's first 8Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM, which is fabricated using 20-nanometer process technology and offers 1GB on a single die.
The new chip should provide 50% higher performance than even the fastest LPDDR3 or DDR3 memory while consuming 40% less energy at just 1.1 volts. In addition, Samsung’s new 8Gb LPDDR4 uses a Low Voltage Swing Terminated Logic (LVSTL) I/O interface, which was originally proposed by Samsung to JEDEC and has become a standard specification for LPDDR4 DRAM. Based on this new interface, the LPDDR4 chip will enable a data transfer rate per pin of 3,200 megabits per second (Mbps), which is twice that of the 20nm-class LPDDR3 DRAM now in mass production.
With the new chip, Samsung will focus on the premium mobile market including large screen UHD smartphones, tablets and ultra-slim notebooks that offer four times the resolution of full-HD imaging, and also on high-performance network systems. What it could mean, in practical terms, is that super-phones with 4GB of inbuilt RAM aren't far out, and hopefully we'll see one or two teased at either CES or MWC over the next two months.
The new chip should provide 50% higher performance than even the fastest LPDDR3 or DDR3 memory while consuming 40% less energy at just 1.1 volts. In addition, Samsung’s new 8Gb LPDDR4 uses a Low Voltage Swing Terminated Logic (LVSTL) I/O interface, which was originally proposed by Samsung to JEDEC and has become a standard specification for LPDDR4 DRAM. Based on this new interface, the LPDDR4 chip will enable a data transfer rate per pin of 3,200 megabits per second (Mbps), which is twice that of the 20nm-class LPDDR3 DRAM now in mass production.
With the new chip, Samsung will focus on the premium mobile market including large screen UHD smartphones, tablets and ultra-slim notebooks that offer four times the resolution of full-HD imaging, and also on high-performance network systems. What it could mean, in practical terms, is that super-phones with 4GB of inbuilt RAM aren't far out, and hopefully we'll see one or two teased at either CES or MWC over the next two months.
