“Apple’s new iPhone 5s and iPad Air both use 1GB LPDDR3 SDRAM from Elpida. With Apple being the first to introduce a 64bit processor this year, we’re likely to see Apple shift to the upcoming LPDDR4 standard in the fall of 2014. It will allow Apple to advance their Retina display quality to the next level,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“With the advancement of Apple’s A7 to 64bit and with yet higher resolution displays on the way, the DRAM performance must also be improved in proportion. What matters is power consumption,” Purcher reports. “The existing LPDDR2 or LPDDR3 DRAM cannot withstand the power consumption necessary for high-performance APs and displays. That’s why the low-power interface-based LPDDR4 DRAM is needed. If the LPDDR4 DRAM is adopted, the DRAM capacity can be increased by 40% for the same power consumption.”
“Whether Apple will be remain with Elpida or switch to another supplier for LPDDR4 DRAM is unknown at this time,” Purcher reports. “While SK Hynix is awaiting industry approval for their LPDDR4, Samsung’s spokesman Benjamin Lee confirms that their product has been approved.”
Read more in the full article here.