The smartphone industry is rapidly transitioning from legacy eMMC storage to the faster Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard. This shift is driven by the need for higher data throughput to support modern apps and AI workloads, even as rising component costs squeeze manufacturer margins.

Advertisement

The 500 MB/s advantage of UFS 2.2 over eMMC 5.1

The transition from eMMC to Universal Flash Storage (UFS) represents a fundamental shift in how mobile devices handle data. Unlike the older eMMC standard, which processes tasks sequentially,UFS allows for concurrent read-and-write operations . This capability eliminates the performance bottlenecks that previously hindered high-definition streaming and intensive application usage.

As the source reports, this speed difference is starkly visible in recent hardware. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G and the sub-$200 Moto G Play 2026 both utilize UFS 2.2 drives . These units can achieve average speeds exceeding 500 MB per second, which is roughly double the performance offered by devices relying on eMMC 5.1.

UFS 3.1 integration in the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Galaxy A27

While budget devices are adopting UFS 2.2, more advanced versions of the protocol are already appearing in mid-range smartphone lineups. Engineers at Samsung and Motorola have integrated UFS 3.1 units into models such as the Galaxy A27, the Moto G Power 2026, and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. This move ensures that even non-flagship devices can handle the increasing data demands of modern mobile ecosystems.

However, eMMC is not yet extinct. The report notes that the older format still finds a place in ultra-budget laptops, certain Chromebooks, and niche devices like the TCL Flip 4 5G. It also remains a staple for specific regional releases, such as Samsung’s Galaxy A07, which targets markets outside the United States where cost-efficiency is the primary driver.

How AI demand drove Samsung’s Galaxy A17 price increases

The push for faster storage is colliding with a volatile global memory market. Surging demand for AI compute, cloud services, and high-end gaming has caused the prices of NAND flash and DRAM—the core components of mobile storage—to climb steadily. This economic pressure is being passed directly to the consumer.

A clear example of this trend is seen in the pricing of the Samsung Galaxy A17. According to the report, Samsung raised the price of this specific model twice within a single year, moving from an initial $200 to $250, and eventually to $270. These hikes were explicitly attributed to the rising costs of memory components, illustrating the difficult balancing act manufacturers face between performance and affordability.

Will eMMC remain the standard for the Samsung Galaxy A07?

Despite the clear technical superiority of UFS, several questions remain regarding the longevity of the eMMC standard. While the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council has signaled that UFS is the successor to eMMC, the transition is not happening uniformly across the globe.

It remains unclear how long eMMC will remain viable for ultra-budget segments before the economy of scale shifts entirely to UFS.. Furthermore, while the source highlights the use of eMMC in models like the Galaxy A07, it does not specify whether manufacturers plan to upgrade these budget lines to UFS as soon as prices stabilize, or if they will continue to rely on the cheaper, slower standard to manitain low entry points.