Samsung Solves Major Smartphone Battery Problem

2/04/2015

Samsung announced today that it has begun manufacturing its own ePoP (embedded package on package) memory for high-end smartphones. The new memory could save up to 40% of space in a smartphone, leaving more for a much larger battery.

ePoP is a single memory package that consists of 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB eMMC (embedded multi-media card) and a controller. It combines all essential memory components into a single package that can be stacked directly on top of the mobile processor, without taking any additional space.

Samsung started using ePoP for wearables last year, which require processing power in limited space. But extending it to smartphones presented an issue because flash memory is sensitive to heat, and stacking it on top of a hot processor could cause problems. Samsung has solved this with its new ePoP which has “special heat resistant

Typically, memory is placed alongside the processor on the main circuit board, instead Samsung’s ePoP memory sits on top of the processor. As the Korean company explained: “Samsung’s smartphone ePoP does not need any space beyond the 225 square millimeters (15x15mm) taken up by the mobile application processor. A conventional PoP (also 15mm x 15mm), consisting of the mobile processor and DRAM, along with a separate eMMC (11.5mm x 13mm) package, takes up 374.5 square millimeters.”

The new solution should save up 40% of space in a traditional set up. This means that Samsung – or any other manufacturer – can allocate more space to a larger battery pack or slim the phone down. The new memory should enable faster and longer operation of memory multi-tasking features, too. It’s also highly efficient, which can have a significant effect on power usage (a necessity for wearables).

If reports about Samsung about ditching Qualcomm’s 810 processorbecause of an overheating issue are correct, then it would explain why the Korean company is opting for its own chips alongside the new memory. But, as Samsung explains, the ePoP memory package is heat resistant – so it should be able to cope with (alleged) hot processors.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S6: Here’s What To Expect

If ePoP memory is used, it could mean that Samsung’s upcoming flagship could support both a bigger battery and have more efficient memory. Some reports, however, have suggested that Samsung might go with a smaller 2550mAh battery (the S5 had a 2800 mAh power pack), which could be justified given the ePoP’s power efficiency. Samsung essentially faces a choice if it chooses to use the new tech: does it go with extra power or a thinner device?

Jay McGregor is a freelance technology journalist who writes for The Guardian, Forbes, TechRadar and is a tech correspondent for BBC’s James Hazel show. Follow on Twitter @_jaymcgregor

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaymcgregor/2015/02/04/samsung-just-solved-a-major-smartphone-battery-problem/2/