Ar-Rehman

Huawei expected to launch world-first "HBM" DRAM smartphone

Huawei rumoured to beat Apple in bringing HBM DRAM to Smartphones. Technology will be based on a 3D stacking approach. Forget LPDDR5X, smartphones will start upgrading to the same HBM DRAM found in Nvidia's highest-end GPUs soon - according to the latest leaks. Mobile device OEMs are thought to switch to that advanced form of memory in order to keep up in the AI race. The trailblazer in its adoption may not be the company many might expect, though. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) is mostly reserved for the most AI-forward hardware from AMD or Nvidia. However, it is coming to devices which can fit into the palm of the user's hand soon, according to the latest reports available.

Huawei could adopt HBM DRAM to smartphones earlier than Apple. The US trade sanctions might have pushed Huawei into a corner, but the former Chinese giant decided that it would not just rise to these challenging circumstances, but it would one-up the competition by adopting various technologies quicker than other giants. For instance, Mate XT was the world’s first tri-fold smartphone, and now rumours claim that the company will proceed to adopt HBM DRAM to smartphones earlier than Apple, resulting in a multitude of advantages. Currently, the world's highest-end smartphones have RAM based on low-power DDR5X (or LPDDR5X) for its speed and efficiency. Even its potential for ~68 gigabyte per second (GB/s) performance might not be enough soon, which might drive manufacturers to make a significant upgrade.

Apple was previously rumoured to introduce HBM DRAM to iPhones for its 20th-anniversary launch in 2027, but Huawei could have bragging rights by introducing the first device to feature such technology. Currently, Huawei’s Achilles’ Heel is being unable to leverage advanced manufacturing processes from the likes of TSMC and Samsung, which is why it is limited to the 7nm node from its local foundry partner SMIC. However, reports available reveal that in other advancements, the company has an edge, particularly Apple, who is severely lagging behind in the generative AI space. One particular component that will effortlessly boost artificial intelligence performance is HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) DRAM. The alleged next step forward in mobile device RAM technology may be necessary to keep up with the demands of ever more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) in the near future.

Currently, the most cutting-edge memory used in smartphones and tablets is LPDDR5X technology, with a rumour claiming that LPDDR6 RAM production will kick off in the second half of 2026 by Samsung, with Qualcomm’s said to adopt this technology for its future chipsets. Huawei will take things one step further, with its HBM DRAM based on 3D stacking technology, which will boost bandwidth and efficiency while reducing the memory chip’s size. These attributes make this DRAM the apparent choice for smartphones. Then again, smartphone HBM (or 'mobile HBM') will not be true up-to-~2TB/s bandwidth memory at all, but more like the new kind of low-latency wide I/O DRAM (or LLW DRAM) also recently developed to support AI functionality. It is touted to achieve next-gen processing speeds of up to 128GB/s in its current form nonetheless. In terms of first-mover 'HBM smartphone' makers, Apple and its iPhones might be a prime candidate. The Cupertino giant is thought to be beaten to the punch by another, however.

The company might be Huawei, although, as a maker of HBM and LLW RAM itself, Samsung is also well-positioned to become a pioneer in making this supposed upgrade. However, Apple will reportedly adopt HBM DRAM in iPhones in 2027, when it unveils the 20th-anniversary version. Huawei could introduce a similar device before its competitor, gaining a significant edge against the Cupertino giant and obtaining a competitive ground in the generative AI category. Unfortunately, the rumour does not specify which specific smartphone series from Huawei will be the first to be treated to this technology, so we must wait and see the result in the near future.