PCIe speeds on an SSD the size of a fingernail: Micron’s latest UFS 4.0 storage promises to make AI work faster on your smartphone – but you can only get up to 1TB capacity
Micron has taken the wraps off UFS 4.0 mobile storage solution. The new SSD, delivered in the world’s smallest UFS package measuring just 9×13 millimeters, is built on Micron’s advanced 232-layer 3D NAND technology and offers a capacity of up to 1TB.
Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2024, the UFS 4.0 solution promises faster and more responsive experiences on flagship smartphones, accelerating data-intensive experiences with sequential read speeds of up to 4,300 MBps and sequential write speeds of up to 4,000 MBps, doubling the performance of previous generations.
This speed boost allows users to launch productivity, creativity, and AI apps faster. Micron claims LLMs can load up to 40% faster in generative AI applications.
Optimized performance
The smaller package size may pave the way for the design of energy-efficient, ultra-slim smartphones and enable larger batteries.
Micron’s UFS 4.0 includes proprietary firmware features such as High-Performance Mode (HPM) that reportedly optimizes performance during heavy smartphone use, resulting in a speed improvement of more than 25% when launching multiple applications. It also includes a One Button Refresh (OBR) that automatically cleans and optimizes data.
The Zoned UFS (ZUFS) feature allows the host to specify different zones where data can be stored, potentially improving the usability of the device over time.
Micron UFS 4.0 will be available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities, but there’s no word on pricing at the moment.