ATI is starting to see some of the first DDR3 SO-DIMM modules for use in next-gen laptops. Qimonda, in co-development with Nanya, is manufacturing the new modules, which can operate at lower voltages and higher speeds than existing DDR and DDR2 solutions. As a chipset manufacturer, ATI is on board with many others like nVidia and Intel, looking forward to supplying DDR3 support within the next few years. DDR3 has a number of other features over DDR and DDR2 that make it look promising, such as a 40% reduction in power draw, a 1.5V operating voltage, dual-gate transistors to reduce current leakage and more.
The press release mentions a battery life goal of a full work day, which many people have wanted for years. Though the RAM is not the biggest draw on a laptops power, every bit helps, and a 40% drop in power usage would be very noticeable. You can read the full press release at Qimonda's site.