SK hynix supplies fastest mobile DRAM to smartphone manufacturer

SK hynix’s LPDDR5T DRAM [Courtesy of SK hynix]

South Korean chipmaker SK hynix Inc. announced Monday that it has started supplying Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo (LPDDR5T), the fastest mobile DRAM currently available globally, to Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo.

LPDDR5T is an upgraded version of the 7th generation LPDDR5X that was developed by SK hynix for the first time in January 2023. It is expected to be the top-tier product until the official release of the 8th generation LPDDR6 in the industry.

The new product can transfer data at a rate of 9.6 gigabits per second and the data processing speed is 77GB per second, which is equivalent to processing 15 Full HD movies in one second.

The LPDDR5T 16GB package also operates in the voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC).

Low power consumption performance is crucial for mobile DRAM, particularly in devices that prioritize portability.

SK hynix has been preparing for commercialization since successfully developing the product earlier in 2023, conducting performance verification with global mobile application processor companies.

It recently started supplying LPDDR5T to Vivo, who announced on the same day that its latest flagship smartphones X100 and X100 Pro will be equipped with SK hynix’s latest memory package.

The smartphones feature the MediaTek AP Dimensity 9300, compatible with LPDDR5T.

A mobile AP plays a crucial role as the brain of a smartphone. SK hynix successfully completed performance verification in August by applying LPDDR5T to the MediaTek mobile AP ahead of integrating into smartphones.

The adoption of SK hynix’s LPDDR5T is expected to expand further, starting with Vivo. The Korean company completed performance verification with Qualcomm, its collaboration partner, who granted industry-first certification that SK hynix’s LPDDR5T can be applied to Qualcomm’s SoC, the Snapdragon 8 3rd generation mobile platform.

SoC refers to a semiconductor that integrates multiple functions into one chip.

Through the verification process, SK hynix and Qualcomm confirmed that both LPDDR5T and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 3rd generation mobile platform exhibit outstanding performance when combined in smartphones.

“Smartphones are becoming essential for implementing on-device AI technology as the AI era kicks into full swing,” Park Myoung-soo, vice president and head of DRAM marketing at SK hynix, said. “There is a growing demand for high-performing, high-capacity mobile DRAMs in the market. We will continue to lead the premium DRAM market based on our technological leadership in AI memories, while staying in tune with market demands.”

On-device AI is an AI technology that implements AI capabilities on the device itself without relying on offsite servers, resulting in faster response times and enhanced personalized AI service features.

SK hynix is expected to see an improvement in its performance amid signs of recovery in the DRAM market starting from the third quarter of 2023.

According to TrendForce, DRAM prices are projected to go up by 3 to 8 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter.

Korea’s chip exports, in the meantime, increased for the first time in 14 months in the first 10 days of November.

According to Korea Customs Service on Monday, outbound shipments of semiconductors jumped 1.3 percent in the November 1 to 10 period, which contrasts with how shipments fell 5.4 percent in the same period last month.