Advances in mobile low-power dual data rate (LPDDR) DRAM technology provide the data foundation for users to use smartphone features and applications at all times. Innovations in smartphone memory and storage subsystems, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications and the growing popularity of faster 5G networks, are bringing new and unique user experiences that make everything possible, now and in the future.

Low Power DRAM Innovations for High Bandwidth User Experiences

Each new generation of mobile memory unleashes the potential for a more powerful and efficient mobile experience. Back in 2012, when JEDEC first announced the LPDDR3 memory specification, who could have predicted that GPS sensors in cell phones would make turn-by-turn navigation a standard part of everyday driving? This feature alone set the stage for the entire shared mobility and delivery service industry, changing the rules of the game in the transportation and restaurant industries and making our lives more convenient.

When the time comes in 2020, LPDDR5 DRAM brings higher memory performance to 5G smartphones, delivering massive amounts of data to AI engines with higher memory bandwidth so that this data can be processed quickly, thus reducing data bottlenecks. Applications such as live 4K HD video streaming, the latest handheld games and AI-based computational imaging on smartphones rely on higher memory bandwidth to deliver a smoother experience. 

Building on the performance foundation of LPDDR5, LPDDR5X takes it a step further and will enable a wider range of devices with more AI and 5G-based capabilities.  

LPDDR5X's greater performance and lower power consumption,will unlock even more future capabilities

We are seeing smartphone manufacturers and system-on-a-chip vendors realize more efficient and powerful products through the high performance of LPDDR5X. Supporting data rates of up to 8.533 Gbps1, Micron LPDDR5X delivers up to 33% performance improvement over previous-generation LPDDR52 and is the world's fastest mobile memory. Compared to previous-generation LPDDR5 memory, LPDDR5X consumes up to 24% less power3, delivering a longer endurance experience for cell phone users.

Data transfer rates of previous generations of LPDDR DRAM4,Micron Memory - Retain the best moments of your life

The performance of LPDDR5X helps unlock the untapped potential of computational imaging. A 33% increase in bandwidth allows the AI engine in the system-on-chip (SoC) to access photos and videos more quickly, speed up shooting, and support simultaneous video capture from multiple cameras.

The higher bandwidth will give the phone enhanced imaging capabilities and will benefit phones across the board in all different price ranges, whether they are affordable models or flagship models. Imagine a future where you'll use a more powerful smartphone to capture life's precious moments - with a larger-bottomed image sensor, more cameras and updated computational imaging capabilities to help users take professional-grade photos and videos. lpdr5x performance will also increase resolution in night mode by 50% and shooting speed by 35%, resulting in more vibrant colors and sharper images5 The LPDDR5X performance also enables a 50% increase in resolution in night mode and a 35% increase in shooting speed, resulting in more vivid colors and clearer images5 .

In addition, LPDDR5X also supports the introduction of Portrait and Night modes to video, enabling users to take stunning HD videos that look as good as their photos in low light conditions.

Create a personalized smartphone experience for users

AI combined with machine learning (ML) gives smartphones the opportunity to learn more from our daily lives. Through this learning, smartphones will become more personalized, continuously improving the user experience and making our lives more comfortable. This ability to understand the user's situation and sense different environments is called context-awareness.

Through context awareness, the vast amount of data generated and used on the smartphone, as well as data extracted through various smart devices, can be collected and processed by the smartphone's powerful AI engine. Based on analyzing the unique usage habits of users in their daily lives, the phone can derive predictive insights: as a result, our smartphones become smarter, more insightful, and more predictive. Because each user browses, watches, or otherwise behaves differently, the smartphone will behave differently, provide personalized recommendations, and react differently based on what it knows about the user.

Imagine what context-awareness would bring to your day. The smartphone would be with you 24/7 from your first schedule. In this scenario, it would suggest the right time to wake up, schedule the smart coffee maker to make your favorite coffee the moment you walk into the kitchen, and have the smart stereo play your favorite radio or morning tune - all automatically, without you having to do anything. After that, you might even get a reminder of the time to go to work. The smartphone can direct your car to start on its own, pull into the driveway and take you to the office by the quickest route possible. It can also communicate with other vehicles' cameras and traffic signals via Cellular Vehicular Networking (C-V2X) communication technology to see what's going on along that route. Once in the car, the camera and sensors on your smartphone can capture your mood and play your favorite music, radio or news. lPDDR5X mobile memory can take this personalized experience to new heights with its outstanding performance and efficiency.

Relying on imagination to break the bottleneck of smartphone innovation

This is an exciting time for innovation in the mobile ecosystem. I expect not only what we could have predicted, but also what we could not have imagined. the outstanding performance and low power consumption of LPDDR5X will unlock even more capabilities for AI and 5G, which will require continued collaboration and innovation across the mobile ecosystem - from operators building and investing in infrastructure, to handset manufacturers leveraging the high bandwidth of LPDDR5X and the vast potential of other semiconductor devices. All parties in the ecosystem will need to push the limits of their products to unlock the full potential of the future of AI and 5G. Micron's leading memory and storage technologies provide the foundation for redefining the future smartphone experience. As a result, users will usher in a new era - where imagination will bring more innovation to smartphones than ever before.