Samsung wants to put 128GB of fast storage in your next phone
It's no longer hard to get a hefty 128GB of storage in a smartphone, but that doesn't mean you'll enjoy it. What's the point of all that extra space if your phone chugs handling huge games and 4K videos? Samsung has clearly anticipated this problem, though -- it just outed the first 128GB flash memory chip based on the speedy Universal Flash Storage standard. The part uses tricks like command queuing and a serial interface to give you the kind of breakneck performance you'd expect from a solid-state drive in a PC, not a device that fits in your pocket. It's about 2.7 times faster at random data reads than the flash you see in many high-end phones, while its sequential speeds are "up to SSD levels." And that's while using 50 percent less power -- you won't have to take a hit to battery life.
Samsung hasn't named customers for the UFS chip, which is also available in 32GB and 64GB forms. With that said, it doesn't take a genius to see where it might go. It won't be at all shocking if this storage ends up in high-end Samsung phones (whether it's the Galaxy S6 or something else), and it wouldn't be a stretch to see interest from other top-tier companies that use Samsung's flash, like Apple. Whoever's on deck, you're likely to see more (and better) 128GB options the next time you go phone shopping.
