SK hynix Inc announced that it has started mass-production of 18 GB (gigabyte) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM, which offers the largest capacity in the industry. This product will be equipped in premium smartphones to support an optimal environment for games with high resolution image and also high quality videos. SK hynix also expects that application will continue expanding to include the latest technologies, including ultra-high-performance camera applications and artificial intelligence (AI).

"This product will improve the processing speed and image quality by expanding the data temporary storage space, as the capacity increases compared to the previous 16 GB product," an official from the company said. The new product runs at up to 6,400 Mbps (megabits-per-second), around 20% faster than the mobile DRAM (LPDDR5 with 5,500 Mbps) for existing smartphones, a data rate that is capable of transferring ten 5 GB FHD (Full-HD) movies per second.With this product, SK hynix expects that smartphone makers will be able to deliver smartphones with more advanced performance than the previous generation.

SK hynix supplied its very first 18 GB LPDDR5 products into the upcoming ASUS 'Republic of Gamers (ROG) 5' gaming smartphone, marking the start of full-scale volume production.

According to market research institution Omdia, the demand of LPDDR5 DRAM accounts for about 10% of the entire mobile DRAM market currently, and the share is estimated to increase to more than 50% by 2023 as high-tech devices are adopted in a widening range of applications.