Western Digital releases 96-Layer 3D NAND UFS 2.1 Embedded Flash Drive

Source: 　　Editor: Jacquelyn Update Time :2018-10-11

The built-in storage capacity of total smartphones shipments in the first half of 2018 increased by 40% compared to the first half of 2017, equivalent to storage capacity of 51GB per handset. Counterpoint Research pointed out that in 2017-2021 NAND flash capacity will usher in a 28% compound annual growth, driven by tablet users' demand for large screen, large-capacity storage and powerful performance to meet pan-entertainment and mobile productivity.

From left to right are vice president of product marketing in Western Digital--Zhu Haixiang, product marketing director of embedded and entegrated solutions (EIS)in Western Digital--Bao Jihong, and senior vice president in Western Digital and general manager in China--Steven Craig.

In response to industry demand for fast data, Western Digital introduced 96-layer 3D NAND technology by using advanced UFS 2.1 interface and iNAND SmartSLC 5.1 architecture. This 96-layer 3D NAND UFS 2.1 embedded flash drive is designed to accelerate the realization of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, high-resolution photography with multiple cameras, 4K video capture, and demanding applications for high-end mobile phones and computing devices.

The evolution of data drives industry change

5G and AI are the main technologies driving data prosperity in the future. The role of data is evolving. The data was only used for storage in the initial stage, while currently data mining and analysis has been becoming the main application of data processing with the rise of AI and smart cities.

The EU321 maintains excellent write performance when the device uses storage capacity close to 98%. This feature is based on the SmartSLC 5.1 architecture by using SLC buffers and TLC memory, with sequential write speed at 550MB/s and random IOPS write speed at 52K/s. EU321 is suitable for high-end flagship mobile phones, with capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB.

"Mobile devices have become the center of our daily connected life. As the emerging features for 5G speed, 4K video, AR and VR continue to improve the capabilities of smartphones, tablets and laptops, the user's expectations for the device and the technical needs to support these increasingly rich experiences are rising. Our 3D NAND technology enables users to access higher built-in storage capacity, supporting the data needs throughout entire lifecycle of smartphone. With the traditional storage architecture, the performance of the device is typically reduced with the capacity consumption. However, Western Digital's iNAND MC EU321 EFD is specially designed for maintaining high-performance operation, allowing users to create, save and enjoy their digital experience at all times", said Oded Sagee, senior director of product marketing in Western Digital.

Optimization for data-intensive high-end mobile devices

The iNAND MC EU321 is a new member of the iNAND family, which has been favored by all major smartphone and tablet manufacturers worldwide for more than 10 years. The iNAND MC EU321 EFD delivers up to 550MB/s of continuous write performance for a superior user experience. Currently Western Digital is testing OEMs for storage solutions with capacities up to 256GB.