In brief: Samsung has begun mass production of the first 16GB LPDDR5 (Low Power Double Data Rate 5) mobile package DRAM designed for next-generation flagship smartphones.
Back in July last year, Samsung announced the mass production of its first 12GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM. It says that the new 16GB advancement will enable enhanced 5G and AI features in smartphones, including graphically intensive games and smart photography. The company added that the DRAM would support "dynamic and responsive gameplay as well as ultra-high-resolution graphics on premium smartphones for highly immersive mobile gaming experiences."
The 16GB chips are built on its second-generation 10-nanometer process. Like the 12GB versions, the 16GB LPDDR5 boasts data transfer rates of 5,500 megabits per second, which is around 1.3 times faster than LPDDR4X (4,266Mb/s).
Samsung added that compared to an 8GB LPDDR4X package, the new mobile DRAM delivers more than 20 percent energy savings while providing up to twice the capacity.
The 16GB package is made up of eight 12-gigabit chips and four 8Gb chips. It's noted that upping the memory to 16GB will give flagship mobile devices the same amount (or more) memory as most PCs.
Samsung's LPDDR5 memory can already be found in the high-end Galaxy S20 Ultra, which features up to 16GB of RAM.
The South Korean firm isn't the only one producing LPDDR5; it was recently announced that Micron has started shipping its version of the DRAM.
Next for Samsung will be the mass production of 16Gb LPDDR5. Based on the third-generation 10nm-class process tech, it will have an even faster transfer rate of 6,400Mb/s.