While the entire tech industry is transitioning towards portable devices with UFS and NVMe storage, it seems like the sun hasn’t set on eMMC yet. Last week, Kioxia launched a new generation eMMC 5.1 module built on the latest 3D NAND technology. It primarily aims at low-cost terminal devices still using older storage technologies.
Kioxia’s new storage module complies with the eMMC 5.1 standard and offers a maximum sequential read performance of 250 MB/s, which is the best performance this technology can provide. However, with the internal upgrade to the new generation Kioxia 3D NAND, it still manages to offer some performance improvements over older modules, including a 2.5x increase in both sequential and random write performance and a 2.7x improvement in random read performance. Additionally, the new eMMC module also boasts greater durability, with a TBW (Terabytes Written) rating 3.3 times higher than the previous generation module.
Maitry Dholakia, Vice President of Kioxia America’s Memory Business Unit, said, “e-MMC remains a widely used embedded storage solution. Kioxia remains committed to providing the latest flash technology for these applications. Our next-generation products bring new performance features that meet end-user demands and create a better user experience.”
Considering that most devices still using eMMC storage fall into the category of simple and cost-effective devices, Kioxia’s new eMMC module product line includes only 64GB and 128GB storage capacity options. Overall, while the storage capacity is modest, it is suitable for budget devices and electronic products with limited storage requirements, such as drones, digital signage, smart speakers, and televisions.
However, the primary purpose of Kioxia launching the new eMMC modules might not be to enhance performance and user experience, but rather to utilize newer and cheaper 3D NAND memory. This enables Kioxia to meet the demands of cost-effective applications with higher cost-effectiveness, ensuring that the company continues to do so in the future.
Kioxia is expected to begin mass production of the new 64GB and 128GB eMMC 5.1 storage modules in 2024. Currently, the company is conducting sample testing of the new devices in collaboration with partners.
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