Disclosed are methods, circuits, devices and systems for operating one or more non-volatile memory (NVM) cells within an array of NVM cells. According to embodiments, there may be provided a nonvolatile memory (NVM) device comprising an array of NVM data cells including one or more border/periphery data cells and one or more non-periphery cells. Array control circuitry may be adapted to gauge a state of the one or more periphery data cells differently than non-periphery data cells.