Samsung’s latest flash storage could bring up to 1 terabyte of internal storage to future smartphones. The manufacturer announced its 1TB eUFS (Universal Flash Storage) 2.1 module on Wednesday. There is already speculation about when devices will release with the new storage capacity.
Even with Samsung expected to release several technologically advanced products in 2019, consumers likely won’t see massed produced devices with this feature in the near future. The best candidate for 1TB of internal storage would likely be Samsung’s foldable smartphone, which is expected to release in mid-2019. Samsung noted that the high capacity storage would help bring “a more notebook-like user experience” to future mobile devices. However, this device, which is a smartphone and tablet in one, is expected to release as a market prototype and likely won’t be wildly available.
Samsung is also planning to release a 5G smartphone, which could potentially also benefit from a high storage capacity. One major use case for 5G is the ability to quickly download large files, such as video content. A common scenario detailed for 5G usage is a traveler being able to download an entire season of a Netflix TV show moments before their plane pulls away from the gate.
However, these devices are likely in their final stages of development or already in production. Consumers should definitely not expect to see the Galaxy S10 featuring 1TB of internal storage, as that device will be unveiled in a little under one month.
Samsung also announced that it plans to ramp up its production facilities during the first half of 2019 to prepare for the demand for 1TB flash storage. This indicates that even though the new storage capacity has been announced, it may still take some time before it can be mass produced. Though there is always a chance Samsung may be saving some surprises for the latter part of the year, 1TB storage may not be the next big thing for 2019.
Samsung announced its 512GB eUFS 2.1 in November 2017 and that option didn’t become commercially available until August 2018 on the Galaxy Note 9. This suggests it could take at least a year before 1TB becomes available on mass-produced mobile devices. For now, the best option for seeing this new storage option come to market before 2020 is in a limited prototype capacity.
