What is Universal Flash Storage (UFS)?

Here are several benefits of using UFS (Universal Flash Storage) as a storage solution in electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices:

• Faster Data Transfer Speeds. UFS 4.0 can achieve the highest data transfer rate of around 46 Gbps by utilizing two available lanes of MIPI M-PHY Gear5 transmission lines with MIPI UniPro v2.0.
• Improved Performance. UFS is designed to improve overall device performance by minimizing latency and improving data transfer speeds at 5.8GBs per dual lane on UFS4.0. It also supports advanced features like command queuing and power gating, which can further improve performance and reduce power consumption.
• Better Power Efficiency. UFS supports advanced power management techniques, such as power gating, to minimize power consumption. Utilizing the M-PHY hibernate mode provides the lowest M-PHY power consumption with HS-burst recovery time in microseconds. On the other hand, utilizing the stall power mode allows a much faster recovery time to HS-burst operation but with less power savings. These options provide flexibility for the SoC to utilize the best practices to match the data traffic profile, and can help to extend battery life in mobile devices and reduce power usage in other electronics.
• Higher Storage Capacity. UFS can support higher storage capacities with 1TB than other storage solutions, such as eMMC with 256GB. This means that UFS can provide more storage space for the OS, application software, and data.
• Safety with Security. JEDEC, the standards body for both eMMC and UFS, has introduced support for inline encryption (IE) and Replay Protected Memory Block (RPMB) to protect data confidentiality and prevent eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks native to the UFS specification. Robust encryption mechanisms are proposed to allow for standardization across host and device combinations.

Overall, UFS is a versatile technology that can be used in many applications that require high-speed and high-capacity storage, low latency, and low power consumption. Some common use cases for UFS include:

• Smartphones and Tablets. UFS is commonly used for storage in smartphones and high-end tablets due to its high speed and reliability. With UFS, mobile devices can offer faster app loading times, quicker data access, quicker boost, and improved overall performance.
• Digital Cameras and Camcorders. UFS is often used in digital cameras and camcorders to store high-resolution photos and videos. The high write speeds of UFS allow for faster saving of large files, and the high read speeds enable quicker transfer of files to a computer.
• Automotive. UFS is increasingly being used in automotive applications such as infotainment systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and navigation systems. UFS enables fast boot times and quick access to data, both essential for real-time applications in the automotive industry. An important feature that makes UFS ideal for automotive applications is its reliability. UFS lowers overall risk of wear and tear of the storage device by allowing the storage device to notify the host about large temperature variations. When the storage device indicates alarming temperatures, the host can throttle down or take actions to cool down the device temperature.
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). UFS is ideal for VR and AR devices, which require high-speed and low-latency storage for immersive experiences. These devices can quickly load and process large amounts of data at 5.8GBs per dual lane on UFS4.0, resulting in a smoother and more responsive experience.
• Wearable Devices. UFS is also used in wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, where space is at a premium and high-speed and low-power storage is essential. Wearable devices can offer longer battery life, particularly using the UFS hibernation mode.
• Hard Disk Drives (HDD). HDD storage architecture combines traditional spinning disks with OptiNAND technology. The drive adds an iNAND UFS embedded flash drive onboard, which alongside proprietary firmware and SoC improvements, is meant to address storage demands of enterprise customers.