Samsung announced today that it has developed a 2GByte MultiMediaCard (MMCmicro) that combines four 4Gbit NAND flash devices.

This is the smallest, fastest and highest capacity memory card for mobile phones, developed three months after Samsung led the industry by launching a 1GByte MMCmicro.

Despite being the size of a fingernail (12mmx14mmx1.1mm), the new MMCmicro will transmit data 3.5 times faster than other cards, according to Samsung. The card can store 12 hours of mobile video and is fast enough to download three hours of it in under two minutes. An adapter allows the card to be plugged into any multimedia card slot.

The 2GB MMC can operate at either 1.8 volts (V) and 3.3V, making it a viable solution for mobile phones.

The new MMC, in a format standardized by the MultiMediaCard association (MMCA) and being standardized by JEDEC, can be obtained by manufacturers without royalties or licensing fees.

The 1 GB MMCmicro will be commercially available in 2006.