Samsung now mass producing 16GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM for next-gen smartphones

[midian182]

In brief: Samsung has begun mass production of the first 16GB LPDDR5 (Low Power Double Data Rate 5) mobile package DRAM designed for next-generation flagship smartphones.

Back in July last year, Samsung announced the mass production of its first 12GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM. It says that the new 16GB advancement will enable enhanced 5G and AI features in smartphones, including graphically intensive games and smart photography. The company added that the DRAM would support “dynamic and responsive gameplay as well as ultra-high-resolution graphics on premium smartphones for highly immersive mobile gaming experiences.”

The 16GB chips are built on its second-generation 10-nanometer process. Like the 12GB versions, the 16GB LPDDR5 boasts data transfer rates of 5,500 megabits per second, which is around 1.3 times faster than LPDDR4X (4,266Mb/s).

Samsung added that compared to an 8GB LPDDR4X package, the new mobile DRAM delivers more than 20 percent energy savings while providing up to twice the capacity.

The 16GB package is made up of eight 12-gigabit chips and four 8Gb chips. It’s noted that upping the memory to 16GB will give flagship mobile devices the same amount (or more) memory as most PCs.

Samsung’s LPDDR5 memory can already be found in the high-end Galaxy S20 Ultra, which features up to 16GB of RAM.

The South Korean firm isn’t the only one producing LPDDR5; it was recently announced that Micron has started shipping its version of the DRAM.

Next for Samsung will be the mass production of 16Gb LPDDR5. Based on the third-generation 10nm-class process tech, it will have an even faster transfer rate of 6,400Mb/s.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84148-samsung-now-mass-producing-16gb-lpddr5-mobile-dram.html

 

[Uncle Al]

The thing I love about these leaps and bounds is that in another year or two they will be 3-4 generations ahead and I'll finally be able to afford the current version! LOL

 

[Hardware Geek]

The thing I love about these leaps and bounds is that in another year or two they will be 3-4 generations ahead and I'll finally be able to afford the current version! LOL

Agreed. If nothing else, this should reduce the cost of current devices when phones with this much RAM hit the market. I have found the 4GB in my phone is becoming a bottleneck but I neither want nor need the latest and greatest, but I would like to get a phone with at least 8GB when I upgrade.

 

[poohbear]

Oh noes!!! That means my note 10+ will "only" have 12GB of RAM!!!! Quick I gotta upgrade!!! So say the FOMO MOFOs!

 

[Nobina]

I prefer having software that doesn't require 16GB of RAM to work smoothly I.E. iOS. Today, iPhone 7 with 2GB of RAM runs flawlessly and can store a lot of apps in memory without having to load it up again. Android on the other hand...My phone has 6GB of RAM yet is "mid-range" because Android is a mess in that regard.

 

[OneSpeed]

I prefer having software that doesn't require 16GB of RAM to work smoothly I.E. iOS. Today, iPhone 7 with 2GB of RAM runs flawlessly and can store a lot of apps in memory without having to load it up again. Android on the other hand...My phone has 6GB of RAM yet is "mid-range" because Android is a mess in that regard.

Yup, I thought it was pretty cool when my PC had a whopping 640K of RAM. You Apple users don't have to worry about this chip making it over; let's hope not anyway.

 

[Burty117]

I prefer having software that doesn't require 16GB of RAM to work smoothly I.E. iOS. Today, iPhone 7 with 2GB of RAM runs flawlessly and can store a lot of apps in memory without having to load it up again. Android on the other hand...My phone has 6GB of RAM yet is "mid-range" because Android is a mess in that regard.

If you look at it the other way, iPhone's cost more but have less RAM in them? On top of that, could Apple squeeze out more performance or run more apps with more RAM?

 

[Nobina]

If you look at it the other way, iPhone's cost more but have less RAM in them? On top of that, could Apple squeeze out more performance or run more apps with more RAM?

I agree that the phones are overpriced but I can't argue with that optimization or whatever it is that makes an old iPhone with 2GB of RAM run as fluid as new phones.