Samsung boosts mobile phone storage to 4GB

Samsung's 4GB multi-chip package has been designed specifically to remove the need for external storage in modern phones

Memory card slots in mobile phones may soon be a thing of the past. That's if a piece of wishful thinking from Samsung turns out to be true and its new, larger solid-state flash-memory chip takes off.

The Korean company announced today that it has developed an industry-leading 4GB multi-chip package ( MCP ) specifically for removing the need for external storage in modern phones. One side effect is that it greatly simplifies the phone design.

Not only does the new MCP have a much larger capacity than its predecessors, but it is physically smaller. It simplifies the electronics needed for phone software to address the memory, thus allowing for smaller phones. A previous 8GB chip did not substantially alter internal phone architecture - the major advantage bestowed by this MCP.

Smaller and better

Samsung director Jim Elliot explained the benefits: "[It] allows handset manufacturers to significantly reduce development time while deploying an extremely robust design that will result in higher performance for smaller phones, with higher storage capacities."

That's all well and good for now. But we have a sneaking suspicion that 4GB is going to start looking a little cramped - even for phones - within the next few years. There's always Samsung's 8GB microSD card in that case, eh?

TOPICS

J Mark Lytle was an International Editor for TechRadar, based out of Tokyo, who now works as a Script Editor, Consultant at NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Writer, multi-platform journalist, all-round editorial and PR consultant with many years' experience as a professional writer, their bylines include CNN, Snap Media and IDG.

Latest in Phones
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Air looks impressively slim in this new comparison image, but that just makes me more worried about the specs
Two Android phones on a green and blue background showing Google Messages
Google Messages just added a fun upgrade to one of its best chat features
Samsung Galaxy S25 on a blue deals background
Bored with your iPhone? The ‘incredible’ Samsung Galaxy S25 just hit a record-low price in the Amazon Spring Sale
Samsung Galaxy S25 from the front
The Now Bar on Samsung One UI 7 is about to get a lot more useful – and could soon match Live Activities on iOS
An iPhone running iOS 18 on a purple and blue background
iOS 18.4 could launch soon with a major upgrade to your iPhone’s notifications
Google Pixel 9a being held, from the back
The Google Pixel 9a’s mysterious delay may have just been explained
Latest in News
The Witcher 4
You're probably not playing The Witcher 4 until 2027 at the earliest, per CD Projekt's latest financial update
Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Air looks impressively slim in this new comparison image, but that just makes me more worried about the specs
Matt Murdock smiling in Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 and Kamala Khan looking stunned in The Marvels
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just revealed what Kamala Khan has been up to since The Marvels, and now I'm more excited for the next superhero team to appear in the MCU
Google Pixel Watch 3, 41mm and 45mm
Google says it will fix broken Wear OS 5.1 update, but why does this keep happening?
DeepSeek
DeepSeek’s new AI is smarter, faster, cheaper, and a real rival to OpenAI's models
Open AI
OpenAI unveiled image generation for 4o – here's everything you need to know about the ChatGPT upgrade