- UFS 5.0 could make smartphones faster than most current mid-range laptops
- JEDEC storage speeds approach 11 GB/s, rivaling PCIe 4.0 SSDs
- AI tools now dictate how storage evolves inside next-generation smartphones
The next generation of smartphone storage could soon rival desktop SSDs as JEDEC prepares to finalize its UFS 5.0 standard.
The specification promises speeds close to 11 GB/s, a figure that surpasses even some PCIe 4.0 solid state drives.
While these numbers sound impressive, questions remain about the actual benefits that users will see in the real world, especially with the increasing integration of artificial intelligence tools on mobile devices.
UFS 5.0 marks a major change in performance
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the group responsible for setting memory standards, revealed that UFS 5.0 will offer sequential read and write speeds of up to 10.8 GB/s.
That’s almost double what current UFS 4.1 chips can achieve, thanks to the adoption of the new MIPI M-PHY version 6.0 and UniPro 3.0 specifications.
The new configuration introduces a “High-Speed Gear 6” mode, which pushes each lane to 46.6 Gb/s, or about 10.8 GB/s when two lanes are combined.
These speeds suggest that the best smartphones of the coming years could have faster storage systems than those currently found in many of today’s laptops.
JEDEC openly links this jump in performance to the growing data demands of AI: As mobile processors increasingly rely on AI tools for real-time translation, camera enhancement, and speech recognition, storage systems must handle faster data retrieval and writing.
UFS 5.0 is described as “flash optimized for AI, mobile devices and peripherals,” implying that the change has less to do with user convenience and more to do with meeting hardware needs.
However, the push for SSD-class performance in phones raises practical questions.
While the benchmarks may seem impressive, bottlenecks in mobile operating systems, thermal limits, and application-level optimization could prevent users from seeing a significant difference in daily use.
It’s not yet clear whether doubling storage speed will translate into faster app launches or file transfers, or whether it will primarily benefit background AI tasks.
JEDEC also highlights several engineering improvements, including integrated link equalization for signal reliability, as well as offering a distinct power supply rail to reduce interference and in-line hashing for better data integrity.
These technical additions aim to make UFS 5.0 not only faster but also more secure and energy efficient.
However, the challenge lies in maintaining these benefits without increasing manufacturing costs or energy use, which will directly affect smartphone prices and battery life.
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