Western Digital unveils UFS 3.1 flash memory for new generation of 5G smartphones

US-based data storage solutions provider Western Digital has come up with its second-generation UFS 3.1 storage solution for 5G smartphones. The new Western Digital iNAND MC EU551 delivers the high-performance storage consumers need to be able to use their phones for emerging applications like ultra-high-resolution cameras, AR/VR, gaming and 8K video, it said in a statement.

IDC expects 5G smartphone shipments to account for more than 40% of global volume in 2021 and grow to 69% in 2025. As networks continue to expand available bandwidth and offer lower latency to enable new user experiences, Western Digital’s iNAND solutions deliver the high-capacity, high-performance embedded storage needed to power these new applications.

Emphasizing the data surge on smartphones, Jaganathan Chelliah, Director, Marketing – India, Western Digital, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer habits drastically. The new normal hastened the Indian consumers and businesses to adopt digital technologies. Consumers have increased dependence on gadgets to maintain continuity in their personal and professional lives. With the advancement in technology like high-speed cellular networks, sensor innovation and AI, we are observing a growth in the average capacity in smartphones. This is registering the need for higher performance to handle new multimedia capabilities like creating video content, and accessing OTT platforms, via smartphones. To power these emerging data-rich applications, our UFS 3.1 iNAND solutions offer high-capacity and high-performance embedded storage, that can enable faster streaming and improved experiences for users.”

Khalid Wani, Director, Sales – India, Western Digital, said, “The last 15 months have changed the entire content consumption landscape drastically, especially for smartphone users. A deluge of data is being created and consumed, the majority of it through mobile devices, leading to the requirement for high-capacity embedded storage, which also delivers high performance and ensures faster data access. The first-ever iNAND MC EU551 mobile storage device, built on the latest flash-based UFS 3.1 platform promises to deliver improvement in read and write performance, faster application launch time and reduced boot-up time, giving consumers a better workload experience.”

The iNAND MC EU551 mobile storage device is the first product built on Western Digital’s new UFS 3.1 platform, first announced on May 26 at the company’s Flash Perspective event. Leveraging faster NAND, a faster controller, and an improved firmware design, the iNAND MC EU551 delivers the following improvements over the previous generation, with up to:

• 100% improvement in random read performance and up to 40% on random writes, to help support mixed workload experiences like running multiple applications simultaneously
• 90% improvement in sequential writes to help realize the new 5G and Wi-Fi 6 download speed potential. This gives consumers a better experience when streaming rich media files such as 8K video, as well as improved performance for applications like burst mode photography
• 30% improvement in sequential reads lets applications launch faster with shorter boot-up time, and enables faster upload speeds

The device is designed to meet the JEDEC UFS 3.1 specification requirements and uses the latest Write Booster technology based on Western Digital’s 7th generation SmartSLCTM. It also features Host Performance Booster version 2.0, further combining the latest advancements in the standard.

The iNAND MC EU551 is the latest addition to the iNAND family, which has been used by all major smartphone manufacturers around the world for more than a decade. As part of its work in the mobile ecosystem, Western Digital continues to work with leading system on SoC designers to qualify its UFS 3.1 solution for smartphone reference designs that offer a pre-tested solution for manufacturers to integrate.

The Western Digital iNAND MC EU551 UFS 3.1 embedded flash drive (EFD) is sampling now with volume availability planned in July. The storage solution is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities.