Samsung started mass producing its latest multi-chip smartphone memory package combining DRAM and NAND, a move it claimed would extend flagship-grade specfications to the broader market.

The LPDDR5 UFS-based multichip package (uMCP) integrates Samsung’s fastest DRAM with its latest UFS 3.1 NAND flash memory. The vendor is targeting the set-up at mid-tier and high-end smartphones.

Samsung stated compatibility tests with several smartphone vendors have been completed and it expects devices with the uMCP to hit some markets starting this month.

DRAM performance in the LPDDR5 of 25GB/s is up from 17GB/s in its predecessor the LPDDR4X 2.2. NAND performance was doubled to 3GB/s. Samsung stated such improvements will enable mid-tier devices to offer features previously reserved for high-end models, citing photography, AR and graphics-intensive gaming as examples.

The package measures 11.5mm x 13mm, with DRAM capacities ranging from 6GB to 12GB and storage options from 128GB to 512GB.

Sohn Young-soo, VP of Samsung’s Memory Product Planning Team, said the LPDDR5 delivers “uninterrupted streaming, gaming and mixed reality experiences”.

Samsung expects the LPDDR5 to “accelerate the market transition to 5G and beyond, and help to bring the metaverse into our everyday lives a lot faster” the executive added.