The milestone sets a benchmark for the next-generation mobile memory market as the enhanced performance is expected to allow mobile device users with reduced latency and faster response times when running large language models (LLMs) in on-device AI environments

“In the era of on-device AI, storage devices are evolving into a key driver defining AI experiences,” said Jangseok Choi, head of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics. “As we successfully move beyond the development stage of the industry’s first UFS 5.0 solution, Samsung is setting a new standard for storage on the go and will continue to drive innovation for the next-generation mobile platform market.”

Generative AI is rapidly shifting from the cloud to the device, driving a surge in the scale of data required for local processing. As a result, storage is evolving from a medium used primarily to store data to core infrastructure that supports AI computation.

Samsung’s UFS 5.0 integrates the latest embedded memory interface standard from JEDEC, achieving high performance levels with a bandwidth of up to 10.8 gigabytes per second (GB/s).

The new storage solution delivers a sequential read speed of up to 10.8GB/s and a sequential write speed of up to 9.5 GB/s, speeds that are respectively more than twice as fast as those of the previous UFS 4.1 standard. This significant advancement enables much faster storage and processing of large data for on-device AI applications.

Power efficiency in Samsung’s UFS 5.0 is also improved compared to the company’s UFS 4.1 solution. This is achieved by implementing a number of new innovations, including clock gating and multi-voltage technologies. These enhancements help to considerably reduce the power required to transfer the same amount of data, drastically lowering overall power consumption and extending the battery life of next-generation mobile devices.

Samsung has engineered the UFS 5.0 solution into an ultra-compact package measuring just 7.5mm x 13mm x 0.9mm — making it 16.7% smaller than its predecessor. This form factor significantly boosts design flexibility and internal space utilization for a wide range of applications, including mobile, wearable and extended reality (XR) devices.

Samsung will begin mass production of its UFS 5.0 in the fourth quarter of this year in a variety of capacities up to one terabyte (TB). Through this breakthrough in UFS 5.0 technology, Samsung continues to innovate and plans to scale up supply to meet the growth of next-generation device markets.

We are at the beginning of the most exciting, and probably one of the most historic moments in technology. The era of mobile AI is here – which for Samsung opened up by the introduction of Galaxy AI features on the Galaxy S24 series, our first AI phone.

Revolutionizing Mobile Experiences with a Hybrid AI Approach  

To bring the real life benefits of generative AI technology to the Galaxy S24 series, we took a hybrid approach to our AI integration. AI offers so many possibilities, and we believe mobile devices are the primary access point for unlocking its potential as users around the globe continue to rely on their phone for most of their day to day needs.

The essential role that mobile devices play in everyday life means they are very personal items that people use during many critical and memorable moments. We understand these behaviors and believe smartphones should work harder so that users can truly make the most of important moments in a just simpler, more intuitive, and more epic way. We also recognize the importance of privacy which is why we give users full control over what they share and what they keep private.

We believe our hybrid approach is the most practical and reliable solution to meet all these needs and puts Samsung ahead of the curve. We are providing users with a balance between the instant responsiveness and extra privacy assurance of on-device AI, and the versatility of cloud-based AI through open collaborations with industry-leading partners in offering a variety of functions they need for daily life.

Expanding Possibilities with On-device AI

We made the ‘Live Translate’ feature on-device AI based, because voice calls are the most basic feature of a smartphone, yet also an intimate and private means of communication. Samsung has committed to empowering users to communicate without language barriers, while at the same time ensuring every communication is safe and private.

To make this feature a reality, our R&D team worked day and night as part of a collaborative process that truly brought out the best in our teams. From determining the right size of AI language models, to training and testing in real-life scenarios, our R&D organizations within the MX business challenged themselves and pushed beyond the limits of what we thought was possible to get this feature running entirely on-device.

Samsung’s global R&D networks around the world, which are in charge of growing the best talents and developing core technologies in each region, have also played a pivotal role. Samsung Research Centers around the globe, including Poland, China, India and Vietnam have dedicated themselves to developing and expanding the languages supported by Galaxy AI. Languages are very cultural, contemporary, and localized so to help people break down language barriers and communicate more naturally, the role of our local R&D offices is even more crucial in opening up new possibilities for users in more regions than ever before.

All these efforts have enabled Samsung to offer something completely new which I’m excited to share. Soon, Samsung is extending the power of Galaxy AI beyond Samsung’s own native calling app by expanding Live Translate to other third-party message apps to support voice calls. So you can stay in contact with friends or colleagues, communicating on your favorite apps in multiple languages.

And since this feature has been integrated into our on-device AI language translation model, users will be able to experience barrier-free communication without worrying about privacy issues like personal data being shared outside their phone when using Live Translate.

I expect that more and more mobile AI features will be incorporated inside mobile devices as the intelligent computing power of the latest chips – particularly NPUs – advances at a blazing fast speed, along with other technologies. This will enable more people to embrace AI and make every day more convenient while offering greater peace of mind.

Growing Galaxy AI for Tomorrow’s Needs, Today

This exciting news is all part of the extension of our commitment to Galaxy AI and entering the next phase of the mobile AI era. The introduction of Galaxy AI on Galaxy S24 series was only the start. To deliver a completely new and unique AI experience, we will further optimize the Galaxy AI experience for the upcoming foldable devices. Our foldables are the most versatile and flexible form factor in Samsung Galaxy and when combined with Galaxy AI, these two complementary technologies will together unlock all new possibilities.

Samsung is also committed to expanding Galaxy AI experiences across the broader Galaxy ecosystem in a way that only Samsung can. As the mobile AI era moves forward at a rapid pace, Samsung is accelerating mobile AI innovations to meet the needs of not only today, but tomorrow.