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On January 9, 2017, SK hynix announced an 8 GB LPDDR4X mobile DRAM package that it described as the world’s first highest-density 8 GB LPDDR4X product. The package combined a 4,266 MT/s data rate, a 64-bit interface delivering up to 34.1 GB/s of theoretical bandwidth, 0.6 V data-I/O operation and a sub-1-mm profile for forthcoming flagship smartphones.
What SK hynix actually announced
This was an original-equipment semiconductor package, not an 8 GB memory stick or a user-installable phone upgrade. Its 8 GB capacity equals 64 Gb. Contemporary technical coverage described the package as four 16 Gb DRAM parts assembled into a compact, dual-channel package; the silicon was distributed across multiple dies rather than being one 64-gigabyte die. See SK hynix’s announcement and AnandTech’s contemporary technical report.
SK hynix planned mass production for upcoming flagship smartphones. A product announcement on January 9 did not mean that a named handset was already broadly shipping with this exact package: handset availability depended on OEM design cycles, compatible application processors, validation and launch schedules.
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| Specification | LPDDR4 | SK hynix 8 GB LPDDR4X package |
|---|---|---|
| Data-I/O voltage cited by SK hynix | 1.1 V | 0.6 V |
| Transfer rate | Not stated for the comparison | 4,266 MT/s |
| Efficiency claim | Baseline | About 20% better power efficiency, according to SK hynix |
LPDDR4X was an efficiency-oriented variant of LPDDR4. SK hynix attributed the approximately 20% improvement to reducing data-I/O voltage from 1.1 V to 0.6 V. That is a memory-technology or DRAM-subsystem comparison under the company’s stated conditions, not a promise that a complete phone would last 20% longer. Total handset power also includes the SoC, display, radios, storage, software activity and other DRAM power components.
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What 4,266 MT/s and 34.1 GB/s mean
The “4266” figure is best written as 4,266 MT/s—megatransfers per second—rather than 4,266 MHz. LPDDR uses double-data-rate signaling, so the effective transfer rate and the underlying clock frequency are different measurements.
With a 64-bit interface, the theoretical peak is:
4,266 million transfers/second × 64 bits ÷ 8 = approximately 34.1 GB/s
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SK hynix published 34.1 GB/s for this interface. It is aggregate theoretical bandwidth, not guaranteed application speed. Actual performance depends on the processor’s memory controller, access patterns, thermals, software and competing system workloads.
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The package measured 12 × 12.7 mm and was less than 1 mm thick. SK hynix said its area was more than 30% smaller than its cited 8 GB LPDDR4 package. That comparison applies to the package, not to an entire phone.
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The thin, compact form addressed several mobile design constraints:
- It freed valuable motherboard area for cameras, power circuitry and other components.
- Its sub-1-mm height supported package-on-package (PoP) assembly, in which memory can sit above a mobile application processor.
- Contemporary coverage also described stacking possibilities with a UFS storage package.
- A smaller package could help OEMs pursue thin designs without proportionally increasing memory-related board space.
PoP integration saves board area but requires careful mechanical, thermal, signal-integrity and manufacturing validation.
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Why 8 GB was notable in 2017
Eight gigabytes was a premium flagship capacity, not an immediate requirement for every smartphone. SK hynix cited an IHS Markit forecast in which average high-end smartphone memory rose from 3.5 GB in 2017 to 6.9 GB in 2020, with annual growth above 25%.
More capacity can provide:
- More room to keep applications resident during multitasking.
- Greater tolerance for demanding operating systems and software.
- Headroom for high-resolution photography, video, games and emerging AI workloads.
- A clear specification advantage for flagship products.
Capacity and performance are separate stories. Eight gigabytes does not automatically make a phone’s CPU faster, and users whose workloads do not need that capacity may see little direct benefit.
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Which processors could use it?
Contemporary reporting identified MediaTek’s Helio P20 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 as notable application processors supporting LPDDR4X. Processor support was necessary, but it did not guarantee that every handset using either processor included 8 GB, this speed, this package layout or SK hynix memory.
An OEM still had to select the package, design and route the board, configure the memory controller and complete validation. Different phones could therefore use different densities, speeds, suppliers or package configurations.
How it compared with earlier 8 GB LPDDR4
Samsung had previously announced an 8 GB LPDDR4-4266 package. SK hynix’s product matched that headline capacity and effective transfer rate while using the LPDDR4X variant’s lower 0.6 V data-I/O voltage. The meaningful distinction was therefore efficiency potential and package implementation, not simply a higher advertised speed.
No independent battery-life or application benchmark accompanied SK hynix’s announcement, so the company’s approximately 20% efficiency figure should not be treated as a measured whole-phone result. LPDDR4X also should not be confused with later LPDDR5 generations; it was an intermediate LPDDR4-era development. SK hynix’s later overview places LPDDR5 above LPDDR4X in throughput: SK hynix’s LPDDR5 history.
What the announcement meant for consumers
- It was factory-installed: the soldered package was not user-upgradeable like a DIMM or SO-DIMM.
- 8 GB described capacity: the number did not by itself specify speed, bandwidth, latency or phone performance.
- 4,266 MT/s described transfers: the 34.1 GB/s figure was a theoretical shared memory-bandwidth ceiling.
- The “world’s first” wording was SK hynix’s claim: it referred to the company’s highest-density 8 GB LPDDR4X product, not every kind of 8 GB mobile DRAM package.
SK hynix also expected the technology to expand into high-end laptops, automotive electronics and other mobile applications, with contemporary coverage discussing lower capacities and speeds such as 3,733 MT/s as roadmap possibilities rather than confirmed products.
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