Samsung Electronics has started sampling an 8-Gbyte NAND flash memory module, the highest density embedded flash memory developed to date, signalling the next generation of flash-based MP3 players and other portable devices. Samsung claims the capacity is equivalent to the GPS data for the entire Western world. The hardware company plans to begin production in the second quarter and hit mass numbers by the end of the year. The high-density MoviNAND module consists of four 16-Gbit flash chips, each manufactured using 50-nm technology. The flash processes data at 52 Mbytes/s. Samsung did not disclose the power consumption of the new chip, but said it was 10-20% percent smaller than existing flash-based embedded memory.