[Mediapen=Cho Han-jin] Samsung Electronics announced that it has begun mass producing the industry’s first 12-gigabit(Gb) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM, which has been optimized for enabling 5G and AI technology.

At a data rate of 5,500Mb/s, the 12Gb LPDDR5 is approximately 1.3 times faster than the previous mobile memory (LPDDR4X, 4266Mb/s) found in today’s high-end smartphones.

With its industry-leading speed and power efficiency, Samsung’s new mobile DRAM can enable next-generation flagship smartphones to fully leverage 5G and AI capabilities. It will provide ultra-high-definition video recording and machine learning while greatly extending the battery life.

Samsung also plans to mass produce ‘12GB LPDDR5 packages’ later this month, which is made up of eight 12Gb chips. They are preparing to meet the growing demand for higher smartphone performance and capacity from premium smartphone manufacturers.

When made into the 12GB package, the LPDDR5 is able to transfer 44GB of data, or about 12 full-HD (3.7GB-sized) movies, in only a second. The new chip also uses up to 30 percent less power than its predecessor by integrating a new circuit design with enhanced clocking, training and low-power feature. This ensures stable performance even when operating at a blazingly fast speed.

“With mass production of the 12Gb LPDDR5 built on Samsung’s latest second-generation 10-nanometer (nm) class process, we are thrilled to be supporting the timely launch of 5G flagship smartphones for our customers worldwide,” said Jung-bae Lee, executive vice president of DRAM Product & Technology, Samsung Electronics. 

Mr. Lee added that “Samsung remains committed to rapidly introducing next-generation mobile memory technologies that deliver greater performance and higher capacity, as we continue to aggressively drive growth of the premium memory market.”

In order to manage production capacity with more flexibility, Samsung is considering transferring its 12Gb LPDDR5 production to its Pyeongtaek (Korea) campus starting next year, depending on the global demand. 

Following its introduction of the 12Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM, Samsung expects to also develop a 16Gb LPDDR5 next year to solidify its competitive edge in the global memory market.