- UFS 5.0 could make smartphones faster than most current mid-range laptops
- JEDEC storage speeds reach 11 GB/s, rivaling PCIe 4.0 SSDs
- AI tools are now dictating the evolution of storage in 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 spec promises speeds close to 11 GB/s, a figure that even exceeds some PCIe 4.0 SSDs.
While these numbers seem impressive, questions remain about the actual benefits users will see in the real world, especially with the increasing integration of AI tools into 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.
This is 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, pushing each lane to 46.6 Gb/s, or around 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 most of today’s laptops.
JEDEC openly links this performance increase to AI’s growing data demands: As mobile processors increasingly rely on AI tools for real-time translation, camera enhancement, and voice recognition, storage systems must handle faster data retrieval and writing.
UFS 5.0 is described as “flash optimized for AI, mobile, and edge devices,” suggesting that the change is less about user convenience and more about meeting hardware needs.
However, the growing demand for SSD-class performance on phones raises practical questions.
While the benchmarks may look impressive, mobile operating system bottlenecks, thermal limits, and application-level optimization could prevent users from noticing a major difference in their daily usage.
It’s not yet clear whether doubling storage speed will result in faster app launches or file transfers, or whether it will primarily benefit background AI tasks.
JEDEC also highlights several technical improvements, including integrated link equalization for signal reliability, and also offers a separate power 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 more energy efficient.
However, the challenge is to maintain these benefits without increasing manufacturing costs or power consumption, which will directly affect smartphone prices and battery life.
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