Samsung Introduces UFS Memory cards Offering up to 256GB Capacity

The Korean technology giant Samsung is all set to launch world’s first UFS memory cards (Universal Flash Storage).
It will be the first removable versions of a new format of memory cards designed to replace the microSD card in portable electronic devices such as cameras, drones and phones.

For years, we have depended on the micro SD and SD cards to be used as a storage device for out mobile phones and other gadgets. Now finally, Samsung is coming up with an alternative.

The UFS memory cards (Universal Flash Storage cards) are as small as microSD cards but it has enhanced read/write speeds. According to Samsung, 5GB data can be read in just 10 seconds at a rate of 530MB/s. The write speeds a less impressive, however, with a quoted maximum of 170MB/s, but still it is the double speed of a top end microSD card.

The company say its cards will write at 170MB/s, which compares well to the 100MB/s rate quoted by SanDisk for its Extreme Pro UHS-II cards. The same SanDisk card reads at 275MB/s.

In a press release:

To shoot 24 large/extra fine JPEG photographs (1,120 megabytes (MB)-equivalent) continuously with a high-end DSLR camera, the 256GB UFS card takes less than seven seconds, compared to a UHS-1 microSD card which typically takes about 32 seconds, at 35MB/s.

To achieve the highest performance and most power-efficient data transport, the UFS card supports multiple commands with command queuing features and enables simultaneous reading and writing through the use of separately dedicated paths, doubling throughput.

The company expects to introduce capacities of 32, 64,128 and 256GB but hasn’t said when or whether there will be devices to take them.