UFS (Universal Flash Storage) is a type of memory used in smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices for storing data. UFS 4.0 and UFS 3.1 are two different versions of the UFS standard. UFS 4.0 was announced back in 2022 and OnePlus 11 was the first phone to come with UFS 4.0 storage. The successor comes with improved read/write speed, improved power efficiency, and larger capacity. As per reports, UFS 4.0 consumes 46% less power than UFS 3.1 while offering twice the performance. Let’s dig deeper to find out how UFS 4.0 is better than UFS 3.1.
Speed: UFS 4.0 has a maximum theoretical speed of 23.2 Gbps, which is almost twice as fast as UFS 3.1’s maximum theoretical speed of 11.6 Gbps. If I talk about read/write speed, UFS 4.0 offers up to 4,200MBps and Up to 2,800MBps respectively as compared to Up to 2,100MBps and Up to 1,200MBps read and write speed in UFS 3.1.
Power Efficiency: UFS 4.0 is more power-efficient than UFS 3.1, thanks to its new Deep Sleep mode, which allows the storage device to consume even less power when idle.
Capacity: UFS 4.0 supports a maximum capacity of 2TB, whereas UFS 3.1 supports a maximum capacity of 1TB.
Improved Write Performance: UFS 4.0 has improved write performance compared to UFS 3.1, thanks to its support for Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology, which allows the storage device to use the device’s main memory as a buffer for write operations.
Here’s a comparison table showing the main differences between UFS 4.0 and UFS 3.1:
| Feature | UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 23.2 Gbps | 11.6 Gbps |
| Read Speed | Up to 4,200MB/s | Up to 2,100MB/s |
| Write Speed | Up to 2,800MB/s. | Up to 1,200MB/s |
| Power Efficiency | More efficient, with Deep Sleep | Less efficient |
| Maximum Capacity | Up to 2TB | Up to 1TB |
| Write Performance | Improved with Host Memory Buffer | Less efficient without HMB |
| Command Queuing | Improved with support for NCQ | Supports NCQ |
| Security | Improved with new features | Supports AES encryption |
| Compatibility | Backwards compatible with UFS 3.0 | Backwards compatible with UFS 2.1 |
| Availability | Available in newer devices | Widely used in many devices |
Overall, UFS 4.0 offers significant improvements over UFS 3.1 in terms of speed, power efficiency, and write performance. It also has new security features and supports larger capacities. However, UFS 3.1 is still widely used in many devices and is compatible with older versions of the UFS standard.
