Intel and Micron Cut Flash Storage Size In Half

It may not be as glamorous or as exciting as the iPad or Nexus One, but it certainly promises to have more far-reaching effects. Intel and Micron have announced a breakthrough in NAND Flash technology that will allow them to double the amount of storage capacity or offer the same amount of storage with half the footprint. The new 25nm NAND flash process will make this possible.

Without getting too technical, the benefits of this new technology are obvious: more memory, less space. This will allow future renditions of the two aforementioned devices (as well as other gadgets that rely on flash memory) to offer more storage while maintaining the same profile (or slim down and offer the same amount of storage). The new process also cuts the cost of manufacturing flash memory.

Intel and Micron are now sampling 8 GB versions of the newly manufactured chips. Mass production is expected toward the end of this year. [via PC World]