Samsung Develops First 8Gb LPDDR4 Mobile DRAM - 4GB RAM in Mobile Devices Coming Soon

[dgstorm]

Samsung has their hands in so many pies its easy to forget that they are also a semiconductor company. This means that in addition to devices like smartphones, tablets and appliances, they develop their own chipsets, (like the Exynos line). It also means they develop RAM. To that end, Sammy has recently engineered a new breakthrough which will mean big things for the mobile industry. Samsung now has the world's first 8Gb LPDDR4 Mobile DRAM. This effectively means that 2014 will probably be the year that 4GB of RAM in a smartphone will become the norm, at least in flagship devices.

Here's a quote from Samsung with a breakdown of the technology:

• Samsung developed the industry’s first eight gigabit (Gb), low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4), mobile DRAM.
• The 8Gb LPDDR4 is fabricated on 20-nanometer (nm) class* process technology, and offers 1 gigabyte (GB) on a single die, which is the largest density available for DRAM components today.
• Overall, the new LPDDR4 interface will provide 50 percent higher performance than the fastest LPDDR3 or DDR3 memory while consuming approximately 40 percent less energy at 1.1 volts.
• Samsung is leading mobile DRAM technology development and is the leader in mobile DRAM market share with its 4Gb and 6Gb LPDDR3.

It's likely we will see this technology come to market in Samsung's next-gen Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 products. We will also see it debut at CES in Las Vegas in January.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow

 

[AECRADIO]

The 'norm' should have already been 4GB, but it isn't.
Memory costs are not what it used to be, back in the day of the DRAM wars of old.
Micron, Samsung, Hitachi, TI,, as well as Hyundai have come to bat with new memory cores, better die designs, and far lower silicon waste, there is no reason to price these chips above their actual value, based on market share and sales pricing.
Bulk orders via tape and reel packaging should also reduce processing costs for the manufacturers and end users.
I remember the days of the 16K DRAM chips in ceramic packages, and I still have some of these!
Piggy back them onto others to add memory capacity, and DOS would recognize it, but only to that mythical 64K limit (which was broken by software).
Gone are the days of this procedure, the packaging is ball grid, and you can no longer piggy back devices. Now you need board real estate, and I doubt they will design devices with pins so you can add your own Z.I.F socket and add your own memory(heaven forbid you did not buy their memory!).
Base memory is okay, but handsets should also come standard with at least 32GB of user-accessible storage, since they appear to despise SD cards.
If I can buy a device with a micro-SD slot, I will bypass devices that do not support this, and this is my singular method of making sure the device makers understand our needs should be considered above theirs, if the wish to sell their products to us.
I vote with my wallet. And if I can call them, or Email them directly, I will indicate my desire for them to retain a micro-SD card slot.
I prefer to NOT go the way of the iPhone, I prefer we have choices, as it should be.
Gee, even the $70.00 Nextbook has HDMI and an SD card slot!

 

[kodiak799]

Yeah, they trickle out the tech because even if they maintain margins by increasing price, they know consumers won't need to upgrade as frequently. Gotta love "planned" obsolescence!

 

[AECRADIO]

Vote with your money, corporations only understand the almighty dollar.
If they refuse to build up the capacity with base RAM, then refuse to buy that device.
When they lose sales from a lack of options for the consumers, they lose market share and suffer, and if they fail, who cares, they refused to alter the way they do business and died off like any creature that can't adapt to a changing environment!

 

[Neoart]

gotta love "planned" obsolescence!

Apple perfected it.

 

[kodiak799]

Vote with your money, corporations only understand the almighty dollar.
If they refuse to build up the capacity with base RAM, then refuse to buy that device.
When they lose sales from a lack of options for the consumers, they lose market share and suffer, and if they fail, who cares, they refused to alter the way they do business and died off like any creature that can't adapt to a changing environment!

With you. Especially since I have to payfull retail to keep unlimited I'll be waiting at least another year for a device WORTH upgrading to. Alternatively in 6-12 months maybe I'll buy a used S4 or S5, or Moto X on EBAY.

 

[FoxKat]

With the Verizon Edge plan, you can purchase the phone with a low monthly installment and you don't have to lose unlimited. That's what I did to get the MAXX.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[kodiak799]

With the Verizon Edge plan, you can purchase the phone with a low monthly installment and you don't have to lose unlimited. That's what I did to get the MAXX.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I'm still paying full retail. That plan is a joke.

 

[FoxKat]

Well, it wasn't such a joke for me. They gave me a $100 gift card for trading in an old Droid Global, waived the activation fee, and in a year if I want to upgrade again all I do is give back this phone, pick out the new top line phone and continue paying $21 per month. That's no joke. $252 for the year minus the $100 gift card is $152, then subtract the $35 activation fee and it becomes $117 per year, or less than $10 per month net to have the most current model... I don't see the humor in that.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[kodiak799]

That program is nothing more than VZW profiting and making it convenient for you to upgrade. There is 0 savings to you as a consumer - you could do at least as well flipping phones on EBAY.

All they've done is pro-rate things to make it feel like you aren't paying full retail, but you are.

 

[FoxKat]

Well you may be right in the long run, but there was no other way for me to go from an S4 to the MAXX and finance it for $21 monthly and no out of pocket without losing my unlimited plan, so I'm happy. Oh, and I forgot to mention I'm selling the S4 with car kit, 2 spare batteries, extra back cover and leather flip closed case on eBay, so I'll net a nice profit when all is said and done.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[AECRADIO]

You Ferengi are SOOO predictable *chuckle*
How dare you seek profit from the minions of the nation, Captain Picard would keelhaul you for thinking like a Ferengi, FoxKat!
Profit, indeed....