Samsung Intros 64 GB Smartphone Storage

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday debuted a high-density memory chip that would provide 64 GB of storage to a smartphone or other mobile device.

In addition, Samsung launched a 32-GB microSD memory card for adding external storage to a mobile gadget.

The 64-GB MoviNAND embedded memory is double the capacity currently offered, for example, in Apple's latest iPhone. The Samsung product measures 0.06 of an inch thick and comprises a controller and 16 32-Gb multi-level cell NAND chips built using Samsung's 30-nanometer manufacturing process. Each chip in the 17-die stack is 30 microns thick.

The MoviNAND line also include products of 32 GB, 16 GB, 8 GB, and 4 GB of storage. The latest 64-GB model has been in mass production since December 2009.

The 32-GB microSD card, which is being sampled with original equipment manufacturers, enters mass production next month. The product stacks eight 32-Gb NAND components and a controller.

The device also comprises 32-Gb MLC NAND chips built using Samsung's 30-nanometer manufacturing process. The previous generation had a maximum capacity of 16 GB and was based on 40-nm 16-Gb NAND chips.

The latest product is 0.04 of an inch thick. The portion of the card inserted into a handset is 0.03 of an inch thick.

Demand for NAND flash memory storage of 32 GB and higher is expected to increase as the market for smartphones and other mobile devices grows. Manufacturers of the high-density memory cards will ship 530 million units this year, increasing to 9.5 billion units by 2013, according to market research firm iSuppli.