KIOXIA starts sampling UFS 3.1 storage chips up to 1TB in capacity for mobile devices
niversal Flash Storage (or UFS) is the flash storage standard that is used in most flagship and upper mid-range smartphones these days. Most flagship devices launched in 2019 featured UFS 2.1 NAND storage, while some phones like the OnePlus 7 series, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Note 10 series, and the Realme X2 Pro opted for the more recent UFS 3.0 standard. Following the announcement of the UFS 3.1 standard earlier this year, we expected to see more manufacturers make use of the latest standard in their flagship devices. However, neither Samsung nor Realme included UFS 3.1 storage on their 2020 flagships. Surprisingly, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO was the first to adopt the new standard and its recently launched iQOO 3 is the first smartphone to feature UFS 3.1 storage. While other manufacturers have been slow on the uptake, a recent announcement from KIOXIA might finally make UFS 3.1 more mainstream.
