Toshiba 32GB Flash Halved In Size; 32GB iPhone Possible

Cellphones, PMPs and other compact portable devices may soon be slimming down even further, as Toshiba announce their latest 32GB flash module. Consisting of eight 4GB NAND chips, the clever part is all in the sizing: through using 43nm manufacturing processes this new chip takes up just half of the space its predecessor requires.

Not only that, but Toshiba have added a new memory controller – responsible for data traffic management – that makes the chipset backward compatible with previous generation hardware. That means shorter development times, as OEMs aren't required to redesign to take advantage of the memory.

Although Toshiba – like many suppliers – will not confirm which manufacturers use its memory chips, they are known to have a working relationship with Apple. There's a fair chance the new 32GB chip could appear in a larger-capacity iPhone at some point in the future, with it doubling up to permit a 64GB iPod Touch no bigger than the existing 32GB model.

Toshiba will begin releasing the memory to suppliers in September, with bulk production this Fall. Expect commercially-available products in the following quarter.

[via electronista]