Enhanced Interface Speed Enables High-Performance On-Device AI Features in Smartphones

SAN JOSE, Calif.: KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced that it has begun shipping evaluation samples1 of embedded flash memory compatible with the next-generation UFS standard, UFS 5.0, which is currently being standardized by JEDEC®2.

UFS 5.0 is a new standard for embedded flash storage designed to meet the performance requirements of next-generation mobile devices such as high-end smartphones equipped with on-device AI functions. It utilizes MIPI® M-PHY® version 6.0 for the physical layer and UniPro® version 3.0 for the protocol. M-PHY version 6.0 introduces the new HS-GEAR6 mode, theoretically supporting an interface speed of up to 46.6 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) per lane; with 2 lanes, UFS 5.0 can achieve approximately 10.8 Gigabytes per second (GB/s) of effective read/write performance.

The evaluation samples incorporate a newly developed in-house controller for UFS 5.0 and KIOXIA BiCS FLASH™ generation 8 3D flash memory and support capacities of 512 GB and 1 TB. The package has been redesigned with a small 7.5 x 13 mm size, contributing to board space efficiency and design flexibility.

The samples are being provided to chipset vendors who are developing UFS 5.0-compatible host systems, enabling them to evaluate performance and conduct interoperability testing.

“Kioxia continues to drive innovation in embedded flash memory with the development of UFS 5.0 solutions designed for next-generation mobile applications,” said Maitry Dholakia, vice president, Memory Business Unit, KIOXIA America, Inc. “By delivering the high speeds and performance required for advanced on-device AI and providing early samples of high-capacity, high-speed solutions, we are helping customers accelerate the development and validation of future-ready smartphones.”

Kioxia will continue to introduce new flash memory technologies into its UFS products to meet the increasing demands for larger capacity and higher performance in the mobile market.

For more information, please visit www.kioxia.com, and follow the company on X and LinkedIn®. To learn more about Kioxia UFS products, please visit Kioxia’s UFS/e-MMC Product Page.

About KIOXIA America, Inc.

KIOXIA America, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Kioxia Corporation, a leading worldwide supplier of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). From the invention of flash memory to today’s breakthrough BiCS FLASH™ 3D technology, KIOXIA continues to pioneer innovative memory, SSD and software solutions that enrich people's lives and expand society's horizons. The company's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems. For more information, please visit KIOXIA.com.

© 2026 KIOXIA America, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services, and contact information is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Kioxia product specifications.

Notes:

1: These samples are intended for functional evaluation only. Specifications of the samples will differ from commercial products.

2: Shipments of 512 GB evaluation samples began on February 24, and shipments of 1 TB samples are scheduled to start from March onwards.

Universal Flash Storage (UFS) is a product category for a class of embedded memory products built to the JEDEC UFS standard specification. Due to its serial interface, UFS supports full duplexing, which enables both concurrent reading and writing between the host processor and UFS device.

JEDEC is a registered trademark of the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association.

MIPI®, M-PHY® and UniPro® are registered trademarks owned by MIPI Alliance.

In every mention of a Kioxia product: Product density is identified based on the density of memory chips(s)within the product, not the amount of memory capacity available for data storage by the end user. In terms of product capacity, available user storage capacity (including examples of various media files) will vary based on file size, formatting, settings, software and operating system, pre-installed software applications, media content, and other constraints. Actual formatted capacity may vary. KIOXIA Corporation defines a gigabit (Gb) as 1,073,741,824 bits, a megabyte (MB) as 1,000,000 bytes, a gigabyte (GB) as 1,000,000,000 bytes and a terabyte (TB) as 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. However, a computer operating system, reports storage capacity using powers of 2 for the definition of 1 GB = 2^30 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes and 1 TB = 2^40 bytes = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.

• 1 Gbps is calculated as 1,000,000,000 bits/s and 1 GB/s is calculated as 1,000,000,000 bytes/s.

Read and write speeds are the best values obtained in a specific test environment at Kioxia Corporation and Kioxia Corporation warrants neither read nor write speeds in individual devices. Read and write speed may vary depending on a device used and file size read or written.

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Fonte: Business Wire