Micron Technology is working with its controller partner Silicon Motion Technology to develop controller solutions for Universal Flash Storage (UFS) chips, according to industry sources. The pair is already partnering for SSD controller solutions.

Earlier in 2016, Micron introduced its 3D NAND-based 32GB solution based on the UFS 2.1 standard. The US vendor is looking to step up development for UFS solutions, the sources said.

Micron has been lagging behind its Korea-based rivals in the eMMC/eMCP field. In China, Micron has even lost its market share to Kingston Solution (KSI), a joint venture between Kingston Technology and Phison Electronics, the sources indicated.

Samsung has already integrated UFS into its flagship smartphones since 2015. The new interface is expected see growing adoption among smartphones starting the second half of 2017, the sources noted.

UFS is specifically tailored for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance and low power consumption, according to the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association. With smartphones and other mobile devices requiring high performance with low power consumption, UFS is poised to replace eMMC/eMCP.

In other news, Silicon Motion is also working with SK Hynix for UFS solutions, according to industry sources. Silicon Motion is already a controller partner of the Korea vendor for eMMC/eMCP devices.