Samsung's High-Performance DRAM Set to Fuel Upcoming Smartphones; Potentially also the Metaverse
Let's clarify that this isn't about the new DDR5 RAM for desktops paired with Intel's new 12th-gen CPUs, instead, today, Samsung has disclosed the "first in industry" LPDDR5X DRAM for smartphones and portable gadgets.
Compared to the LPDDR5 memory currently implemented in numerous smartphones, Samsung asserts that its new LPDDR5X DRAM can handle data at a pace of up to 8.5 Gbps, which is 1.3 times faster than typical LPDDR5 RAM (6.4 Gbps), while consuming 20% less power.
The LPDDR5X relies on a novel 14-nanometer process, and Samsung boasts about being the initial manufacturer to produce 16GB LPDDR5X chips, which can theoretically be combined to supply as much as 64GB of RAM within a single device.
Aside from boosting the data rate to 8.5 Gbps, another major upgrade with LPDDR5X is its capacity to support 16 memory banks per channel across all boards, contrasting with standard LPDDR5, which can fluctuate between 8 and 16 memory banks based on configuration.
In addition to serving as the memory for future high-end phones, Samsung claims that its new LPDDR5X DRAM was also optimized to support a broad assortment of high-speed applications in sectors like 5G, AI, vehicles, and, much like other corporations today, the metaverse.
As per SangJoon Hwang, Samsung Electronics EVP and head of DRAM design, Samsung’s LPDDR5X "will enlarge the use of high-performance, low-power memory beyond smartphones and introduce new functionalities to AI-based edge applications like servers and even automobiles."
The company adds that it will start collaborating with chip manufacturers to "establish a more applicable structure for the expanding digital reality realm"—and it appears that this super-charged DRAM will serve as the "basis" for that reality.
Samsung has not furnished a firm schedule for when we might observe LPDDR5X DRAM in actual consumer devices, though, considering Samsung’s intentions to deploy its new memory to support new VR and AR applications, I wouldn't be astonished to find LPDDR5X DRAM in devices (possibly an AR/VR headset of some sort) sometime next year.
The tech industry is excited about Samsung's announcement of its LPDDR5X DRAM, which is designed to support high-speed applications in sectors like 5G, AI, vehicles, and the metaverse. This future technology is expected to significantly boost data rates and support more memory banks, potentially revolutionizing the performance of high-end phones and other devices.
