Samsung intros 4GB all-in-one phone memory

Samsung this morning unveiled the moviMCP, a multi-chip package that it says could spur the growth of music phones. The package is the first to combine multiple types of memory specifically geared towards cellphone use: alongside 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash dedicated to core phone operations, the chipset includes 4GB of general flash storage for music, movies, and other data. This could virtually eliminate the need for the expansion slots found on many cellphones, according to Samsung. It would also drastically reduce the size of some devices by consolidating the external memory chips into one small chipset.

The technology will also be easy to implement, the company adds. Since the moviMCP includes its own memory controller and relies on an embedded MultiMedia Card (MMC) interface similar to SD, handset creators don't need to write special code to address the different memory types.

Sampling has already begun for the new phone memory, indicating a relatively close ramp-up for full-scale production. No mention has been made of when companies can begin using the chips in their products, though it should occur before the end of the year.

The development could represent a breakthrough for both Samsung and other media-centric cellphone developers, including Apple and Sony-Ericsson. The latter two have both worked on 4GB music phones but have both reserved the capacity for larger devices that have the physical space for extra memory, such as the upcoming iPhone. Using the moviMCP or similar technology could reduce the thickness or overall surface area of the handsets without compromising their features.