On September 11, SK hynix announced official supply of ZUFS 4.1—the world’s first mass-produced mobile NAND flash solution. Now integrated into global mobile makers’ latest smartphones, it strengthens SK hynix’s storage tech leadership and boosts on-device AI features for better user experiences.
SK hynix completed ZUFS 4.1 customer validation in June 2024, started mass production in July, and launched supply smoothly—marking an efficient timeline.
Technically, ZUFS (Zoned UFS) combines Zoned Storage with UFS (Universal Flash Storage), acting as an extended UFS spec. It optimizes data management by partitioning storage based on data needs. UFS has evolved from 1.0 (2011) to 4.1 (2025), with each version upgrading data processing speed and energy efficiency. JEDEC first released ZUFS in 2023; SK hynix developed ZUFS 4.1 per JEDEC’s UFS 4.1 standard.
In performance, ZUFS 4.1 improves smartphones in three key ways:
- Cuts read performance degradation by over 4x and app launch time by 45% (vs. traditional UFS) for better long-term use.
- Uses sequential writing (instead of traditional UFS’s overwriting) to reduce AI app runtime by 47%, fitting AI needs.
- Boasts upgraded error handling vs. May 2023’s ZUFS 4.0—detects errors more accurately and communicates solutions clearly to the CPU, boosting reliability.
Kim Joo-sun, President (CMO) of SK hynix’s AI Infra Division, noted ZUFS 4.1 is the firm’s first Android OS-storage co-optimization project with customers. SK hynix will expand its use, supply needed NAND flash solutions timely, and build a differentiated edge in AI memory via global partnerships.
ICgoodFind:we see SK hynix’s ZUFS 4.1 mass production as a new direction for mobile storage-AI synergy, set to lift smartphone performance and user experience.
