Posted by Samsung and SK Hynix, two major players in the memory chip industry, are working closely together to secure certification for LPDDR6 RAM as soon as possible. According to industry insiders, the Korean technology giants are poised to begin manufacturing these advanced memory chips once the necessary standards are approved by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC).
The companies’ proactive efforts are driven by the anticipated release of Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, which is expected to push the boundaries of on-device generative AI capabilities. With generative AI models potentially surpassing the 10 billion parameter threshold, the demand for high-performance and efficient memory solutions is expected to skyrocket.
Expectations are that JEDEC will publish the regulations and documentation for LPDDR6 RAM in the second half of this year. Samsung, keen to capitalize on this opportunity, aims to have the new memory chips ready for devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 features a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of supporting generative AI models with up to one billion parameters on-device. However, surpassing the 10-billion parameter mark would unlock even more advanced capabilities, enabling generative AI to better understand video content and create more accurate programming algorithms, thereby enhancing overall smartphone performance.
While LPDDR6 RAM holds immense potential, its roadmap remains unclear, particularly regarding bandwidth allocation for AI processes. Samsung has been focusing on improving LPDDR5 (5X and 5T) by prioritizing low pricing and high power efficiency over raw performance. However, with the finalization of LPDDR6 standards by JEDEC, Samsung will need to shift its focus towards optimizing performance to meet the demands of next-generation generative AI applications.
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In layman’s terms, the combination of LPDDR6 RAM and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset could usher in the next wave of artificial intelligence features in smartphones as early as 2025. This could potentially enable real-time video editing or even the generation of videos from scratch, provided that everything goes according to plan.
As the technology landscape continues to evolve, Samsung’s proactive stance in ramping up LPDDR6 RAM production positions the company to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of on-device generative AI and pushing the boundaries of mobile computing capabilities.