By Sam Oliver
Published: 07:40 AM EST (04:40 AM PST)
Toshiba has announced its new 64GB embedded NAND flash memory module will offer the highest available capacity in the industry in the first quarter of 2010.
The iPhone 3GS,
released in June, included up to 32 GB of
Toshiba NAND flash memory. The memory maker announced Tuesday that it created a new 64GB chip that combines 16 32Gbit (equal to 4GB) NAND chips using 32nm process technology. The chips also integrate a dedicated controller.
The new chips are available for sample now, and mass production of them is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2010. Toshiba said the product will be used in smartphones, mobile phones, netbooks and digital video cameras.
Likely to be a customer is Apple, which has doubled the maximum capacity of the iPhone with a new release every summer. Given the current 32GB iPhone 3GS,
next year's iPhone is likely to offer 64GB of capacity.
In addition, the new
64GB iPod touch, introduced in September, uses a pair of 32GB NAND chips to achieve its maximum capacity. Toshiba's new chips would allow Apple to release a 128GB iPod touch sometime in 2010.
Toshiba said its new 64GB chip offers up to 1,070 hours of music at 128Kbps,8.3 hours of full-spec high definition video, and 19.2 hours of standard definition video. The individual 32Gbit chips are said to be 30 micrometers thick, giving them the highest density of NAND flash in the industry.
