KIOXIA Europe GmbH has introduced its new UFS 5.0 embedded flash memory solutions, designed to meet the growing storage demands of AI-enabled smartphones and edge devices by delivering higher performance, improved power efficiency and increased storage capacity.
Built on the latest JEDEC UFS 5.0 standard, the new flash memory solutions support theoretical interface speeds of up to 46.6Gb/s per lane and deliver effective dual-lane sequential read performance of approximately 10GB/s, enabling faster access to data for on-device AI applications.
KIOXIA said the new storage technology addresses one of the key bottlenecks in on-device AI, where storage read speeds can limit the performance of large language models, multimodal AI applications, advanced imaging and real-time inference. Compared with previous-generation UFS solutions, the new devices are designed to improve application loading times, responsiveness and overall user experience.
The UFS 5.0 devices combine KIOXIA’s in-house UFS 5.0 controller with the company’s eighth-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory. The range offers sequential read speeds of up to 10GB/s and write speeds of up to 9GB/s, alongside improved power efficiency, enhanced thermal management and a more compact 7.5 × 13mm BGA package.
Initially available in 512GB and 1TB capacities, the new storage solutions are aimed primarily at premium smartphones with on-device AI capabilities. However, KIOXIA said they are also suitable for AI-enabled tablets, gaming devices, augmented and virtual reality systems, robotics, smart security cameras and industrial edge applications.
“On-device AI redefines what users expect from future mobile and edge devices; manufacturers need storage solutions that keep pace with these increasing AI workloads,” said Axel Störmann, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at KIOXIA Europe GmbH.
“As AI workloads require fast, efficient access to data, KIOXIA UFS 5.0 delivers the speed, efficiency and capacity necessary to build these next-generation intelligent devices.”
Commercial samples of the UFS 5.0 flash memory are now available, with mass production expected to begin before the end of 2026. KIOXIA will also showcase the new storage solutions at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) conference next week in Santa Clara, California.
