Mark Campbell, Product Executive at Tarsus Distribution, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We are excited to rejoin forces with Samsung to bring their world-class display and storage solutions to our channel partners. This partnership underscores our dedication to providing cutting-edge technology and exceptional service, empowering partners, businesses and individuals to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.”

Under this agreement, Tarsus Distribution partners will soon gain access to a comprehensive range of smart and gaming monitors, along with storage solutions, distributed in South Africa by Samsung. This strategic collaboration aims to streamline access to innovative technology solutions, empowering businesses to stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Tarsus Distribution. This collaboration will enable us to expand the reach of our Enterprise portfolio, delivering innovative solutions to our customers with speed and efficiency. Our partnership with Tarsus Distribution further enables us to meet the evolving demands of the modern marketplace, providing unparalleled value to our channel partners and customers alike,” said Mike van Lier, Vice President of Consumer Electronics at Samsung South Africa.

This strategic relationship with Tarsus Distribution aligns seamlessly with Samsung’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to its customer base. Leveraging Tarsus Distribution’s extensive investments in digital tools and logistics systems, this partnership will ensure the swift and efficient delivery of Samsung’s cutting-edge visual display and storage solutions to meet the evolving demands of today’s interconnected market.

Tarsus Distribution partners will soon have access to a range of Samsung Odyssey Gaming, Viewfinity high resolution and best-in-class smart monitors and Samsung storage solutions: solid state drives (SSD): SATA, NVMe, Samsung portable SSD, and Samsung MicroSD.

Two times faster than previous models, users can transfer a 4GB video in two seconds

Maximum capacity of up to 4TB offers ample storage for pro-grade content

Samsung Electronics, one of the global leaders in advanced memory technology, has announced the release of its latest lineup of the T- series, the Portable Solid State Drive (SSD) T9. With its stylish and portable design, the T9 is built to keep data safe while on-the-go, empowering users with fast transfer speeds and ample storage, and providing the reliability and convenience they need.

“With advances in high-resolution photos and the rising popularity of 4K videos, professional content creators now face the necessity of transferring large amounts of data on a frequent basis,” said Hangu Sohn, Vice President of Memory Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics.  “The T9 offers a solution for professionals to alleviate the challenges that come with managing their data, and Samsung will continue to provide optimised memory solutions that enable professionals to fully concentrate on achieving their creative potential.”

Higher Performance and Massive Storage Capacity

The T9 offers maximum sequential read/write speeds of 2,000 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) on the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. Approximately two times faster than the previous model T7, speeds of this level allow users to transfer a 4-gigabyte (GB) Full HD video in nearly two seconds.

The T9 comes in three different capacity options to fit the needs of every creator. With 1-terabyte (TB), 2TB and 4TB varieties, the T9 makes it possible to complete quick and frequent transfers while providing ample storage for large volumes of data. Its compact size, similar to that of a credit card, allows creators to carry their inspiration wherever they go with the least of limitations on their creative process.

Luxury Added to Ruggedness

The T9 delivers not only the functional advantages, but also unique design benefits under the concept of ‘luxury added to ruggedness’ based on the ‘rugged’ design concept of the T7 Shield. The curved diagonal lines and reverse carbon patterns on the surface of T9 gives the rubber a fabric-like feel for the user, like a luxurious wallet.

Great Reliability and Thermal Control

Professional creators push the boundaries of what’s possible, and their data is invaluable. Resistant to drops of up to three meters high and guaranteed with a five-year limited warranty, the Portable SSD T9’s sturdy design is built to keep data safe with the reliability that users need and empowers them to pursue their most ambitious projects.

For creators who require fast and efficient large file transfers without slowdowns, the T9 is the perfect companion. With Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard, it efficiently minimises the performance drops that can be caused by overheating, ensuring consistent and fast transfer speeds. Moreover, the T9 is designed in compliance with the international safety standard IEC 62368-1, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of demanding tasks with minimal heat transfer.

Manage T9 with Samsung Magician Software 8.0

The Samsung Magician software provides an enhanced experience for users through features such as performance benchmark, security functions, firmware updates and real time health status check. Firmware update is a very important feature for memory products, and Magician software is ready to solve any field issues that might occur. With the new 8.0 version released in September 2023, all Samsung software such as Data migration, PSSD software, Card authentication tool, will be integrated to Magician software and the OS support range will be expanded, for Windows, Mac and Android user convenience.

Seamless Compatibility

With proven experience in Portable SSD compatibility, Samsung has designed the T9 to meet the USB Type-C power spec and to support the seamless workflow of professional creators. This has enhanced compatibility across operating systems such as Windows, macOS, smartphones and tablets, gaming consoles and professional high-resolution cameras. The T9 also comes with USB Type C-to-C and USB Type C-to-A cables.

The Samsung Portable SSD T9 is available to consumers in the below specs and manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP).

Product:	Description:	Warranty	RRP* (incl. Vat)
MU-PG1T0B/WW	Samsung T9 Portable SSD 1 TB; Transfer speed up to 2000 MB/s; Write Speed to 1950 MB/s, USB 3.2 (Gen2x2, 20Gbps)  AES 256-bit hardware encryption, Windows®, macOS®, Android Compatible  Colour: Black	5 Years	2 999,00
MU-PG2T0B/WW	Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2 TB; Transfer speed up to 2000 MB/s; Write Speed to 1950 MB/s, USB 3.2 (Gen2x2, 20Gbps)  AES 256-bit hardware encryption, Windows®, macOS®, Android Compatible  Colour: Black	5 Years	4 999,00
MU-PG4T0B/WW	Samsung T9 Portable SSD 4 TB; Transfer speed up to 2000 MB/s; Write Speed to 1950 MB/s, USB 3.2 (Gen2x2, 20Gbps)  AES 256-bit hardware encryption, Windows®, macOS®, Android Compatible  Colour: Black	5 Years	9 499,00

Samsung Portable SSD T9 Product Specifications
Interface	USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps)
Hardware Information	Capacities 1)		1TB	2TB	4TB
	Dimensions 2)		88 x 60 x 14mm
	Weight 2)		122 grams
Performance	Sequential Read 3)		Up to 2,000 MB/sec	Up to 2,000 MB/sec	Up to 2,000 MB/sec
	Sequential Write 3)		Up to 1,950 MB/sec	Up to 1,950 MB/sec	Up to 2,000 MB/sec
Durability	Drop Resistant 4)		Up to 3m
Security	Encryption		AES 256-bit hardware encryption
	Software 5)		Samsung Magician Software
Compatibility	Operating System 6)		Windows®, macOS®, Android
	Device 6)		PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones
Reliability	Temperature 7)	Operating	0°C to 60°C
		Non-Operating	-40°C to 85°C
	Humidity		5% to 95% non-condensing
	Shock	Non-Operating	1,500G, duration: 0.5ms, 3 axis
	Vibration	Non-Operating	20~2,000Hz, 20G
Certifications			CE, BSMI, KC, VCCI, RCM, FCC, IC, UL, TUV, CB, EAC, UKCA, BIS
RoHS Compliance			RoHS 2
Warranty 8)			Five (5) Year Limited Warranty

¹1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes, 1TB=1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Lower capacity may be demonstrated by your computer due to use of a different measurement standard.

²The actual product weight and size may vary depending on the product’s capacity and measurement method.

³Performance may vary depending on host configuration, cable and user system environment. To reach maximum sequential read/write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s, respectively, the host device and connection cables must support USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and the UASP mode must be enabled.

*Test system configuration: ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-E GAMING WIFI, Intel i9-10900K CPU @ 3.70GHz, 3696 MHz, 10 Core(s), 20 Logical Processor(s) / DDR4 8GB DRAM frequency1132.3 MHz / Win 11 Pro

⁴Based on an internal free fall shock test conducted under controlled conditions. Drop resistance may vary depending on the actual environmental conditions. Damage caused by drop is not covered under warranty.

* Test condition: Device was dropped free-fall to a metal plate from 3-meter height.

** No warranty is provided for any physical damage.

⁵Samsung Magician software is available in Windows®, macOS® and Android. It requires Windows® 7 and higher, macOS® High Sierra (10.13.6) and higher, or Android 5.1 (Lollipop) and higher. Older versions of the Windows®, macOS®, and Android operating systems may not be supported.

⁶Compatibility with host devices may vary. Some operating systems may require T9 reformatting. T9 is backward compatible with USB 3.2, USB 3.1, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

⁷Tc is measured at the hottest point on the case. Sufficient airflow is recommended to be operated properly on heavier workload within device operating temperature.

⁸The LED component of the T9 is warranted for five (5) years of typical use, typical use for the purposes of this warranty defined as four (4) hours of operation per day at temperatures of 40℃ or below. For more information on the warranty, please visit https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/support/warranty

Samsung proudly supports Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030.

AMD Radeon graphics technology to expanded portfolio of Samsung Exynos SoCs

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., one of the world’s leaders in advanced semiconductor technology, and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced they have signed a multi-year agreement extension to bring multiple generations of high-performance, ultra-low-power AMD Radeon graphics solutions to an expanded portfolio of Samsung Exynos SoCs. Through the licensing extension, Samsung will bring console-level graphics quality and optimised power consumption to more mobile devices, offering an incredibly immersive and long-lasting gaming experience.

“Together with AMD, Samsung has been revolutionising mobile graphics, including our recent collaboration that brought ray tracing capability to mobile processors for the first time in the industry,” said Seogjun Lee, executive vice president of Application Processor (AP) Development at Samsung Electronics. “Drawing on our technological know-how in designing ultra-low-power solutions, we will continue to drive ongoing innovation in the mobile graphics space.”

“We are excited Samsung selected multiple generations of our leadership high-performance Radeon graphics to advance the next generation of Samsung Exynos solutions,” said David Wang, senior vice president of the Radeon Technologies Group at AMD. “The extension of our work with Samsung is a testament to our strong technology partnership and commitment to bring the best experiences possible to mobile users.”

Samsung and AMD first announced their partnership to license AMD RDNA graphics architecture in 2019, leading to the co-development of Samsung Xclipse, a mobile graphics processing unit (GPU) based on the AMD RDNA 2 architecture in 2022. Xclipse was among the industry’s first mobile GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and variable rate shading features for console-like gameplay on mobile devices.

Samsung proudly supports Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030.

▲(From left) The Samsung developers who built the integrated circuits in the company’s 8K TVs – Sangdeok Kim, Hansoo Seong, Junghyun Lim, and Yongjoo Song

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 9 November 2021 – With the continued evolution of high-definition televisions, the worlds displayed on our TV screens are becoming more realistic than ever. 8K TVs, which represent the new standard of premium television, maximize immersion by providing such vivid high definition that it is like users are beholding the scenes before their very eyes.

This incredibly sharp resolution was made possible by the enhancement of the semiconductors within the TVs. Capable of enabling the functions that allow sharper resolution, these solutions are the DTV SoC (Digital TV System on Chip), T-CON (Timing Controller), and DDI (Display Driver IC). Samsung Newsroom sat down with the developers of S6HD820 (which opened the door for 8nm¹ DTV SoC), S6TST21 (the industry’s first 8K 120Hz T-CON) and S6CT9BC (a DDI with a maximum speed of 8Gbps) to hear the story of the unseen innovation behind these solutions.

From DTV SoC to DDI – Sending Video Signals to Displays

Unlike in the past when televisions were only used for watching shows, the role of the TV has gradually expanded over time. These days, our TVs are becoming a platform that also allows us to play games, work out as well as do a broad range of other activities. As people come to expect a more diverse range of features from their TVs, a higher standard of premium features is also being brought to televisions.

TVs are output devices for content, making a high standard of picture quality crucial for user satisfaction. Digital signals generally undergo three stages before being displayed. First, the DTV SoC receives compressed data from broadcasts or the internet, extracts the data to convert it into video and sends the video and audio to the screen and speakers. The T-CON then receives the processed video data and sends it back to the DDI with careful timing to ensure smooth operation. Last, the digital signal sent to the DDI is converted to an analogue format and the video is displayed on the TV screen.

Simplifying DTV SoC with ‘One Chip’ and Enhancing NPU Function

The DTV SoC, which receives video data from a cable or set-top box, is also referred to as ‘the brain of the TV.’ Hansoo Seong, who is part of the DTV SoC development team, explains that, “The DTV SoC extracts the audio and video signals separately from the compressed input stream. It then provides the function that adjusts the audio and video data according to each scene being displayed.”

As picture quality has evolved from the 4K to the 8K standard, the role of the DTV SOC has become more important. Samsung’s developers were committed to finding a solution that would support 8K resolution while also reducing power usage at the same time. An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) was applied to the DTV SoC so that AI technology could be applied to the overall improvement of both picture quality and audio processing. This technology led to a much more precise display output. On top of this, the DTV SoC has been integrated with an upscaling IC² to improve power efficiency.

The biggest hurdle in creating the 8nm¹ DTV SoC, known as S6HD820, was the complex engineering required to integrate two ICs into one chip and the subsequent issue of overheating. “The better the NPU performance, the more the AI learning is reinforced, which leads to better TV performance. But this also makes semiconductors that much more complex to engineer and results in more severe overheating,” said Hansoo Seong. “We worked hard to find the right balance to prevent excessive overheating, and eventually succeeded in optimizing the solution.”

The Evolution of T-CON: From Two 60Hz Chips to a Single 120Hz Chip

The T-CON takes the video data from the DTV SoC and converts it according to the demands of the DDI. “The bigger the panel size and the higher the resolution, the more important the role of the T-CON becomes,” said Junghyun Lim, who participated in developing Samsung’s latest 8K T-CON. “The data transmission speed of the T-CON is also important when it comes to quickly transmitting high-resolution video data to the DDI.”

With the improvement from 4K to 8K, screen resolution increases by four times. Thus, the amount of data that needs to be sent also quadruples, which means the T-CON’s speed needs to be enhanced as well. The development team solved the overheating problem that accompanies rapidly rising speeds by applying a new node process and simplifying the chips. In addition, the two 8K 60Hz chips have been integrated to become one S6TST21.

Previous systems required four semiconductors in 8K TVs, including the DTV SoC, the upscaling IC² for 8K, and two T-CONs. The new system has reduced the total amount of semiconductors required to two by combining the DTV SOC and the upscaling IC² into one solution, and merging the two T-CONs into one. These changes have made it much easier to design the required boards.

DDI Integration Increases Speeds and Reduces Chip Count

The DDI is responsible for the final step before the video is displayed. This is where the digital data received from the T-CON is converted into the analogue signal that will be used as input for the display. Yongjoo Song, who participated in development of the DDI, said, “The DDI needs to deliver high analogue voltage to the panel quickly and precisely to allow the video data from the T-CON to be displayed accurately.”

To facilitate the increase in voltage, a new driver IC became necessary that could simultaneously handle higher voltages and prevent overheating. “Increasing the speed of the driver buffer was the most difficult challenge,” said Yongjoo Song. “After changing the circuit structure and layout in a range of ways to reduce the driver IC’s input/output latency, we were able to develop a new driver IC that could operate at faster speeds.”

The development of a DDI that operates at high speeds resulted in the number of DDIs being reduced by almost half and the number of relevant chips being reduced by dozens. This makes TV panels easier to construct.

The Secret to Tech Leadership: Development of Samsung’s Own Interface and Organic Semiconductor

From 4K to 8K TVs, the secret to Samsung’s technological leadership is its know-how and the high level of consumer trust it has accumulated over time. In addition, Samsung is constantly analysing market and technology trends to apply them to products, and Samsung’s own interface has played a huge role in these efforts. “The Samsung interface not only delivers speed but also utilizes the company’s semiconductor driver technologies,” said Sangdeok Kim. “By utilizing its own interface, Samsung was able to make the 8K TV DDI based on the industry’s fastest interface.”

Another one of Samsung’s unique advantages is that it is developing the DTV SoC, T-CON and DDI in tandem with one another. This offers a big advantage, as it allows better integration and compatibility among the three components that must work together.

The developers from Samsung’s S.LSI Business make no secret of their excitement regarding 8K TV technology and the future of semiconductors. “When I first started working in this area, I was making semiconductors for FHD-resolution TVs. I remember feeling very proud when the products entered mass production,” related Yongjoo Song. “Already, TV resolutions have surpassed 4K to reach the 8K standard, and TV screens continue to get bigger and bigger. With larger high-resolution TVs being introduced to the market, semiconductors must be equipped to perform more complex functions, which adds to the challenges in developing them. But overcoming those challenges will remain the ever-present goal for developers like us.”

¹ nm: nanometer

² Upscaling IC: A semiconductor that converts low-resolution videos into high resolution (converts 2K and 4K videos into 8K)

]]> https://news.samsung.com/za/samsung-puts-forward-a-vision-to-copy-and-paste-the-brain-on-neuromorphic-chips Tue, 09 Nov 2021 12:13:16 +0000 https://bit.ly/3CZQHaG With Harvard Researchers, Samsung introduces a new approach to reverse engineer the brain on a memory chip, in a Perspective paper published in Nature Electronics

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 9 November 2021 –  Samsung recently shared a new insight that takes the world a step closer to realising neuromorphic chips that can better mimic the brain.

Envisioned by the leading engineers and scholars from Samsung and Harvard University, the insight was published as a Perspective paper, titled ‘Neuromorphic electronics based on copying and pasting the brain’, by Nature Electronics. Donhee Ham, Fellow of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Professor of Harvard University, Professor Hongkun Park of Harvard University, Sungwoo Hwang, President and CEO of Samsung SDS and former Head of SAIT, and Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics are the co-corresponding authors.

Image of rat neurons on CNEA (CMOS nanoelectrode array).

The essence of the vision put forward by the authors is best summed up by the two words, ‘copy’ and ‘paste’. The paper suggests a way to copy the brain’s neuronal connection map using a breakthrough nanoelectrode array developed by Dr. Ham and Dr. Park, and to paste this map onto a high-density three-dimensional network of solid-state memories, the technology for which Samsung has been pioneering. Through this copy and paste approach, the authors envision to create a memory chip that approximates the unique computing traits of the brain – low power, facile learning, adaptation to environment, and even autonomy and cognition – that have been beyond the reach of current technology.

The brain is made up of a large number of neurons, and their wiring map is responsible for the brain’s functions. Thus the knowledge of the map is the key to reverse engineering the brain. While the original goal of neuromorphic engineering, launched in the 1980s, was to mimic such structure and function of the neuronal networks on a silicon chip, it proved difficult because, even until now, little is known of how the large number of neurons are wired together to create the brain’s higher functions. Thus, the goal of neuromorphic engineering has been eased to designing a chip ‘inspired’ by the brain rather than rigorously mimicking it.

This paper suggests a way to return to the original neuromorphic goal of the brain reverse engineering. The nanoelectrode array can effectively enter a large number of neurons so it can record their electrical signals with high sensitivity. These massively parallel intracellular recordings inform the neuronal wiring map, indicating where neurons connect with one another and how strong these connections are. Hence from these tell-tale recordings, the neuronal wiring map can be extracted, or ‘copied’. The copied neuronal map can then be ‘pasted’ to a network of non-volatile memories – such as commercial flash memories that are used in our everyday life in solid-state drives (SSD), or ‘new’ memories such as resistive random access memories (RRAM) – by programming each memory so that its conductance represents the strength of each neuronal connection in the copied map.

(From the left) Donhee Ham, Fellow of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Professor of Harvard University, Hongkun Park, Professor of Harvard University, Sungwoo Hwang, President and CEO of Samsung SDS (former Head of SAIT) and Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, the co-corresponding authors.

The paper takes a step further and suggests a strategy to rapidly paste the neuronal wiring map onto a memory network. A network of specially-engineered non-volatile memories can learn and express the neuronal connection map, when directly driven by the intracellularly recorded signals. This is a scheme that directly downloads the brain’s neuronal connection map onto the memory chip. Since the human brain has an estimated 100 billion or so neurons, and a thousand or so times more synaptic connections, the ultimate neuromorphic chip will require 100 trillion or so memories. Integrating such vast number of memories on a single chip would be made possible by 3D integration of memories, the technology led by Samsung that opened up a new era for memory industry.

Leveraging its leading experience in chip manufacturing, Samsung is planning to continue its research into neuromorphic engineering, in order to extend Samsung’s leadership in the field of next generation AI semiconductors. “The vision we present is highly ambitious,” said Dr. Ham. “But working toward such a heroic goal will push the boundaries of machine intelligence, neuroscience, and semiconductor technology.”

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 12 October 2021 – Samsung, the world leader in memory technology, today unveiled its new PRO Plus microSD and a redesigned and enhanced EVO Plus microSD card. Samsung provides customers a comprehensive offering for day-to-day and professional storage needs with a new lineup of microSDs that offer lightning-fast read and write speeds^[1], increased durability and a wide variety of capacity options. The new microSD cards are ideal for expanded mobile device storage and capturing high-quality photos, 4K Ultra HD (UHD) video^[2] and other content on action cameras and drones – even in extreme conditions.

Samsung’s newest microSDs offer improved six-proof protection, two more layers of protection than the previous generation, making them able to withstand water, extreme temperatures^[3], x-ray, wear out^[4], drops and magnetic impact. Offered with a 10-year limited warranty^[5], the PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSDs thus enable users to store data without the worry of lack of space, while also providing confidence that the content is well protected.

“Professionals and consumers of all kinds want memory cards that make it easy to save and retrieve data while also knowing that their valuable images and video files are protected,” said Justin Hume, Director: Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “Samsung’s new suite of microSD cards offer the features and capabilities consumers and professionals need: faster speeds along with increased reliability and durability to deliver the ultra-high performance every user wants.”

PRO Plus microSD cards, a new addition to Samsung’s microSD lineup, are designed for more discerning content creators, offering exceptional read and write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively. The PRO Plus microSD cards will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities.

The EVO Plus microSD is designed to give casual users peace of mind by providing high reliability and stable performance during day-to-day use. It offers transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s, providing up to 1.3x faster sequential read speed when compared to the previous version. EVO Plus microSD card will be available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacity.

microSD Card		PRO Plus			EVO Plus
Capacity		512GB	256GB	128GB	512GB	256GB	128GB	64GB
Interface		UHS-I
SD Standard		SDXC			SDXC
Performance[1]	Read	Up to 160 MB/s			Transfer Speed up to 130 MB/s
	Write	Up to 120 MB/s
Speed Class		U3, V30, A2, Class 10			U3, V30, A2, Class 10			U1, V10, A1, Class 10
Certification		FCC, CE, VCCI, RCM
Multi proof (6)		Water, Temperature, X-Ray, Magnet, Drop, Wearout
Warranty		Limited 10-year warranty (* SD Adaptor 1 year warranty)

[1] Up to 160MB/s read speeds, engineered with proprietary technology to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, require compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds. Up to 120MB/s write speeds. Based on Samsung’s internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device interface, usage conditions and other factors.

[1] Up to 160MB/s read speeds, engineered with proprietary technology to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, require compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds. Up to 120MB/s write speeds. Based on Samsung’s internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device interface, usage conditions and other factors.

[1] Up to 160MB/s read speeds, engineered with proprietary technology to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, require compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds. Up to 120MB/s write speeds. Based on Samsung’s internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device interface, usage conditions and other factors.

The PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSD cards, featuring a reimagined Blue Wave design that gives the cards a fresh new look, will be available starting today. For more information on Samsung’s microSD card offerings, please visit samsung.com/memorycard.

[1] The read & write speeds are based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions. Actual speeds may vary depending upon card capacity and device compatibility. Stated performance is achieved by using microSD with Samsung readers.

[2] EVO Plus 64GB is not supported

[3] Temperature proof: operating temperatures of -25 C to 85 C; non-operating temperatures of -40 C to 85 C.

[4] up to 10,000 swipes

[5] https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/memory-card-warranty/

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 28 July 2021 – Samsung, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has begun mass producing its latest smartphone memory solution, the LPDDR5 UFS-based multichip package (uMCP). Samsung’s uMCP integrates the fastest LPDDR5 DRAM with the latest UFS 3.1 NAND flash, delivering flagship-level performance to a much broader range of smartphone users.

“Samsung’s new LPDDR5 uMCP is built upon our rich legacy of memory advancements and packaging know-how, enabling consumers to enjoy uninterrupted streaming, gaming and mixed reality experiences even in lower-tier devices,” said Young-soo Sohn, vice president of the Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics. “As 5G-compatible devices become more mainstream, we anticipate that our latest multichip package innovation will accelerate the market transition to 5G and beyond, and help to bring the metaverse into our everyday lives a lot faster.”

Based on the latest mobile DRAM and NAND interfaces, Samsung’s uMCP can deliver lightning-fast speed and high storage capacity at very low power. This combination will allow more consumers to immerse themselves in numerous 5G applications that were previously only available on premium flagship models, including advanced photography, graphics-intensive gaming and augmented reality (AR). Such flagship-level capabilities are made possible by a nearly 50% improvement in DRAM performance, from 17 gigabytes per second (GB/s) to 25GB/s, and a doubling of NAND flash performance, from 1.5GB/s to 3GB/s, over the previous LPDDR4X-based UFS 2.2 solution.

The new uMCP also helps to maximise space efficiency within a smartphone by integrating DRAM and NAND storage into a single compact package that measures only 11.5mm x 13mm, allowing more space for other features. With DRAM capacities ranging from 6 gigabytes (GB) to 12GB and storage options from 128GB to 512GB, the Samsung uMCP can be easily customised to accommodate the diverse needs of 5G smartphones throughout the mid- and high-end segments.

Samsung has successfully completed compatibility testing of the LPDDR5 uMCP with several global smartphone manufacturers, and expects its uMCP-equipped devices to hit mainstream markets starting this month.

“The new ISOCELL Auto 4AC combines Samsung’s innovative and market-proven image sensor technologies with a unique CornerPixel solution for advanced HDR and LFM capabilities, offering exceptional viewing experiences regardless of lighting conditions,” said Justin Hume, Director: Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “Starting with the ISOCELL Auto 4AC, we plan to expand our automotive sensor line-up to areas such as camera monitor systems (CMS), autonomous driving and in-cabin monitoring.”

Various lighting situations on the road may pose obstacles to the driver. Quick transitions from a low-lit environment to a brighter one, such as exiting a tunnel, may require a few seconds for the driver’s eyes to adjust. Also, flickering from LED headlamps or road signage, such as street lamps and traffic lights, could become increasingly noticeable on the automotive system’s camera screen.

The ISOCELL Auto 4AC offers a safer driving experience with an enhanced field of view for the driver with its CornerPixel technology. The technology features a specialised pixel structure that mitigates LED light over 90-hertz (Hz). Within a single pixel area, it embeds two photodiodes, one 3.0µm pixel for viewing low light images, and a 1.0µm pixel placed at the corner of the big pixel for brighter environments. With two photodiodes capturing images in different exposures simultaneously, the sensor offers up to 120dB HDR with minimal motion blur, allowing smoother transitions between dark and bright areas while preserving more details of the road ahead.

To minimise LED flickering, the smaller photodiode’s exposure time can be extended, preventing pulsing LED light from being displayed as flickering on the camera screen. This delivers a more pleasant viewing experience for the driver and more accurate image data on LED-embedded objects for the automotive system to recognise. The Samsung ISOCELL Auto 4AC comes in a 1/3.7-inch optical format with 1.2 million 3.0-micrometer (µm) pixels, and for streamlined client system installations, an image signal processor (ISP) is embedded within the sensor.

The 4AC meets stringent AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualifications, including a -40°C to 125°C operating temperature range, and is currently in mass production.

* Editor’s Note: Actual performance may vary depending on device and user environment.

* Samsung first announced its ISOCELL technology in 2013, which reduces colour crosstalk between pixels by placing a physical barrier, allowing small-sized pixels to achieve higher colour fidelity. Based on this technology, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 1.0um-pixel image sensor in 2015 and a 0.9-pixel sensor in 2017. Samsung continues to enhance its pixel isolation methods with ISOCELL Plus and the ISOCELL 2.0 technologies.

The 970 series maximizes the potential of NVMe bandwidth. The 970 PRO enables sequential read speed of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speed of up to 2,700 MB/s, which means it can read a five-gigabyte (GB) movie in a mere second and write in 1.9 seconds.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 02 May 2018 – Samsung Electronics introduced the Samsung 970 PRO and EVO, the third generation of its industry-leading consumer solid state drive (SSD) line-up. Having led the market with the first consumer-focused NVMe SSD in 2015, Samsung continues to push the performance barriers with this latest generation of SSDs that are built for tech enthusiasts and professionals so that they can enjoy higher bandwidth for intensive workloads on PCs and workstations.

Craige Fleischer, Vice President of Integrated Mobility Samsung South Africa says, “Samsung has led the NVMe SSD industry since its inception and the company continues to define the latest standards of consumer storage with unprecedented performance of the 970 PRO and EVO SSDs.” Fleischer adds that, “The 970 series sets a new bar in all aspects for the NVMe SSD market with ground-breaking performance, superior reliability and best-in-class capacity.”

The Samsung 970 PRO and EVO are designed based on the M.2 form factor standard and with the latest PCIe Gen 3×4 lane interface. The 970 series maximises the potential of NVMe bandwidth, delivering unparalleled performance for processing large volumes of data, including 3D, 4K graphics work, high-end games and data analytics.

The 970 PRO enables sequential read speed of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speed of up to 2,700 MB/s^[1], while the EVO features sequential read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s and sequential write speed of up to 2,500 MB/s^[2]. The sequential write speeds represent an enhancement of up to 30 percent over the previous generation^[3], thanks to Samsung’s latest V-NAND technology and the newly designed Phoenix controller. The 970 EVO, in particular, utilises the Intelligent TurboWrite technology, which uses a large buffer size of up to 78GB^[4] to enable faster write speeds.

In addition to the advancements in performance levels, the 970 PRO and EVO deliver exceptional endurance and reliability. Featuring a five-year warranty^[5], or up to 1,200 terabytes written^[6] – 50 percent higher than those provided for the previous generation^[7] – the 970 PRO and EVO are built to last. The Dynamic Thermal Guard technology safeguards against overheating by automatically monitoring and maintaining optimal operating temperatures, while a heat spreader and new nickel-coated controller further lower the SSD temperatures.

The 970 PRO and EVO also provide greater system design flexibility for the high-performance computing systems. Offering a variety of high capacity options in a compact M.2 form factor – including the single-sided 2TB EVO model – the 970 series enables convenient storage expansion across a wide range of computing devices.

The 970 EVO will be offered in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB^[8] capacities and the 970 PRO in 512GB and 1TB capacities. The 970 PRO and EVO will be available for purchase worldwide starting May 7, 2018, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices starting at R1,999.00 and R21,049.00 respectively. For more information, including warranty details, please visit www.samsung.com/SSD, www.samsungssd.com.

Key Specifications

^{* Five years or TBW, whichever comes first}

^{[1] 970 PRO and EVO performance may vary based on SSD’s firmware version, system hardware and configuration. Performance measurements based on IOmeter 1.1.0. *Test system configuration: Intel Core i7-7700K CPU @4.2GHz, DDR4 2400MHz 32GB, OS-Windows 10 Built 10240, Chipset–ASUS PRIME Z270-A.}

^{[2] Performance may vary based on SSD’s firmware version, system hardware and configuration. Performance measurements based on IOmeter 1.1.0.}

^{Write performance measurements are based on Intelligent TurboWrite technology.}

^{The sequential write performances after TurboWrite region are: 300 MB/s(250GB), 600 MB/s(500GB), 1,200 MB/s(1TB) and 1,250 MB/s(2TB).}

^{The random write performances after TurboWrite region are: 80,000 IOPS(250GB), 160,000 IOPS(500GB) and 300,000 IOPS(1TB/2TB).}

^{* Test system configuration: Intel Core i7-7700K CPU @4.2GHz, DDR4 2400MHz 32GB, OS-Windows 10 Built 10240, Chipset–ASUS PRIME Z270-A.}

^{[3] Up to 29% and 32% in sequential write speeds, respectively, have increased when compared to Samsung 960 PRO and EVO.}

^{[4] 970 EVO Intelligent TurboWrite buffer size varies based on the capacity of the SSD: 13GB for 250GB model, 22GB for 500GB model, 42GB for 1TB
model and 78GB for 2TB model. For more information on the TurboWrite, please visit www.samsungssd.com.}

^{[5] Five years or TBW, whichever comes first. For more information on the warranty, please find the enclosed warranty document in the package.}

^{[6] Warrantied TBW(Total byte written) for 970 PRO: 600TB for 512GB model, 1,200TB for 1TB model;}

^{Warrantied TBW(Total byte written) for 970 EVO: 150TB for 250GB model, 300TB for 500GB model, 600TB for 1TB model, 1,200TB for 2TB.}

^{[7] 50% increase when compared to Samsung 960 PRO and EVO.}

^{[8] 1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes by IDEMA. A certain portion of capacity may be used for system file and maintenance use, so the actual capacity may differ from what is indicated on the product label.}