Apple’s latest iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the first from the company to feature 8GB RAM, giving them an advantage over the regular versions that feature 6GB RAM. However, we also found out through some detailed findings that Apple actually sourced the world’s first ‘D1β’ (D1b) LPDDR5 DRAM chips from Micron, but what does using this cutting-edge memory mean? Let us dive in.
Micron’s latest DRAM technology boasts a smaller physical size, freeing up space on the A17 Pro logic pro while delivering the same bandwidth
The new D1β LPDDR5 16 Gb DRAM chip from Micron features the codename Y52P, according to the newest findings from TechInsights. While Apple has stuck with the same LPDDR5 standard as last year, the report notes that Micron’s new DRAM chips are only physically smaller in size but also sport an increased density compared to the manufacturer’s LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X D1α 16 Gb die.
“The iPhone 15 Pro, identified as model A3101, houses Micron’s revolutionary D1β LPDDR5 16 Gb DRAM chip, bearing the code name Y52P die. What sets this chip apart is not only its advanced technology but its smaller physical size. Additionally, it boasts a remarkable increase in density when compared to its predecessor, the LPDDR5/5X D1α 16 Gb die.”
The new D1β LPDDR5 DRAM chips are also made mass produced while refraining from using a method called Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL). For those that do not know, EUVL is a technique practiced by memory manufacturers Samsung and SK hynix to scale down DRAM’s node to sub-15nm. Micron has managed to mass produce D1z, D1α, and now D1β DRAM chips without the need to bring in EUVL into the manufacturing equation.
Employing EUVL in DRAM production has the propensity to cause delays, which will have an adverse impact on supply and yield issues. Wafer production can also be hampered using this technique, and given that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are in high demand, Micron needed to optimize production for Apple, and as you can see, it did just that. It is also impressive that this D1β LPDDR5 DRAM technology can deliver a bandwidth of 51.2GB/s while being smaller in size, and we look forward to what comes next year.
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