Recently, I showed my dad a photo of a 2TB M.2 drive, and he recalled how the Burroughs 5700 mainframe he used had a 2MB drive that was the size of two washing machines. Soon, Western Digital promises to offer storage that dwarfs that old setup by millions of times.
Ahead of the FMS 2024 trade show, Western Digital revealed exciting developments in storage technology. SanDisk is preparing to launch MicroSD cards with capacities up to 4TB and SD cards reaching up to 8TB. These cards will deliver speeds up to 10MB/s, ideal for gaming consoles and high-end cameras.
For PC enthusiasts, Western Digital is working on a 16TB SanDisk Desk Drive, which will double the capacity of the largest external SSD available today. Additionally, a 16TB portable SSD is in the proof-of-concept stage, likely adopting a form factor similar to existing Extreme Portable SSD models.
Although Western Digital has yet to confirm the exact release dates and prices, the new products are anticipated to hit the market by 2025. If you’re interested, it might be a good idea to start saving now—current 8TB SanDisk Desk Drives retail for around $700.