Samsung rolls out first 16-gigabit flash memory chips

Electronics giant Samsung continues to remain at the forefront of news today with its announcement that it has sampled the world's first 16-gigabit (2GB) NAND flash memory chip. Also one of the first chips to be made using an ultra-dense 50-nanometer process, the new technology is meant to boost devices that typically depend on sheer capacity, such as solid-state drives. The increased space does not come at the expense of speed, Samsung says. Although made using multi-level cells (MLC) instead of the faster single-level designs, the new chip has double the page memory compared to old MLC devices. This doubles the read speed compared to its ancestors and increases the write speed by as much as 150 percent.

The company hopes to start full-scale production of the 16Gb flash chips in the first quarter of this year. No mention was made of specific partners likely to use the technology beyond Samsung itself, but the introduction should pave the way for higher-capacity iPod nanos as Apple has historically relied on Samsung's memory as the cornerstone of its mid-range jukebox.