Micron launches 9×13 mm terabyte UFS 4.0 memory chip

Micron, a leading U.S. memory chip maker, announced at MWC 2024 the most compact UFS 4.0 drive ever, measuring just 9×13 millimeters. Like its predecessors, the new model offers up to 1 TB of storage and excellent performance – 4300 MB/s for reading and 4000 MB/s for writing, GSMarena says.

The size of the chip is 20% smaller than the previous 11×13 mm solution introduced last June. The new chip will reduce power consumption without compromising overall performance.

The company also introduced HPM (High-Performance Mode), a patented feature that optimizes performance during intensive smartphone use, with up to 25% faster performance when HPM is enabled.

The main reason why Micron offered a smaller solution is due to the requirements of smartphone manufacturers to free up space inside the phone body to allow for a larger battery capacity.

The product is based on 232-layer 3D NAND technology. It was developed jointly in laboratories located in the United States, China, and South Korea. Smartphones that will use this chip are expected to hit the market by the end of 2024.

Micron is now shipping samples of the new UFS 4.0 drive in three variations – 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB.