By Kim Yoo-chul
SK hynix said Monday it has developed a highly-advanced mobile DRAM chip to be used in “smart” devices such as tablets and smartphones.
In a statement, the SK Group affiliate said it developed a new Low Power DDR3 (LPDDR3) mobile memory chip with a storage size of 8-gigabit (Gb), using a finer 20-nanometer processing technology.
It added that the new chip has a faster response time and consumes 10 percent less energy, meaning that the component is equipped with better functions but uses less power.
The world’s second-biggest manufacturer of computer memory chips said it is the first chipmaker to develop the product.
The chip is lighter and slimmer than the existing 4Gb and is also capable of powering data-intensive gadgets with relative processing ease.
“The newly-developed chip is faster than existing LPDDR3 as the chip materializes 2133Mbps data transmitting speed that compares to 4Gb-based LPDDR3’s 1600Mbps. The chip handles 17 gigabyte data in case of using dual channel in one second, which is the fastest in existing mobile DRAMs,” said Son Kyung-bae, a senior spokesman at the company.
The firm said it has already shipped samples to major handset producerrs that run on Google Android software.
The company plans to massively produce the chips from the latter half of this year at its plant in Korea not Wu’xi, where SK hynix supplies DRAMs and mobile DRAMs to budget Chinese handset manufacturers.
Unlike conventional memory chips, which are used to just read and store data, mobile DRAMs are widely being used to control an entire computing system and to power devices.
Amid an explosive growth in smartphones and tablets, leading chipmakers are investing heavily in mobile DRAMs and shifting the focus of their businesses toward mobile DRAMs.
“SK's focus has already shifted to mobile DRAMs. Supply will be tight thanks to a few trusted players, meaning we will benefit more. Sony, Taiwan’s HTC and even Samsung Electronics plan to introduce their new hardware-focused devices in the latter half, helping the SK affiliate create increased revenue,” said Seo Won-suk, an analyst at Korea Investment in a note to clients.