The compact space inside smartphones makes it difficult to adopt High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), not to mention the thermal problem, but a rumor claims that Chinese smartphone brands have a custom-made Low Latency Wide DRAM (LLW) that adopts a similar integrated design as the aforementioned technology. While the design isn’t “true HBM,” it aims to resolve the performance bottleneck issue that LPDDR RAM has, enabling a massive performance boost while consuming less power.
Fresh rumors state that Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi and Huawei plan to introduce LLW in the second half of 2027
An update from Weibo tipster Fixed-focus digital cameras states that there’s little hope that Chinese smartphone makers will introduce a faster version of memory in 2026, but claims that the second half of 2027 will hold more promise in this regard. Since smartphones’ on-device AI capabilities are constrained because of the lack of HBM use, which isn’t possible because of the reasons mentioned above, LLW aims to resolve this problem.
The rumor claims that LLW delivers 1.5 times the performance while reducing power consumption by 50 percent, though it’s not specified which memory standard these metrics are compared to, so we’ll assume it’s LPDDR5X. While it’s entirely possible for smartphone chipsets to feature significantly faster Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and flash memory capable of tremendous speed gains, the DRAM aspect is an area that requires thorough innovation if smartphones are to achieve true on-device AI functionality.
Huawei has previously been rumored to be working on HBM DRAM for smartphones, with Apple also said to bring this technology to its iPhone 20. As for the development of dedicated HBM for handsets, Samsung appears to be the only firm dedicated to bringing the technology to the masses using complex packaging. However, there are other ways to supercharge smartphones to enhance the AI experience.
Qualcomm is rumored to be working with Chinese memory manufacturers to bring 3D DRAM to its NPUs to revolutionize chipset technology. Whether these implementations will arrive in a timely fashion is anyone’s guess, but we’ll continue to update our readers on the latest, so stay tuned.
News Source: Fixed-focus digital cameras
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
