SanDisk unveils 'world's fastest' 128GB SDXC card and new iNAND Ultra embeddable flash storage

There's no time better to announce new storage cards than at CES -- there's just so many new toys to plug them into. SanDisk's new SDXC card is available in both 64GB and 128GB sizes, with the latter capable of packing in around 10 hours of HD 3D video. Both cards will boast read speeds of around 45 megabytes per second -- the 'world's fastest', we're told, but that could be a heady claim during the high-speed turnaround of CES. No date's been offered up yet for when they'll hit stores, but when they do, expect the 128GB beast to set you back a feisty $400, while the 64GB card will ask your wallet for $200.

Meanwhile, fans of the embeddable kind can expect to see iNAND Ultra make itself known in 2012. Promising a tiny footprint and sizes up to 64GB, expect to see more of SanDisk's 19nm flash tech to make plenty of appearances in future teardowns -- it's apparently been designed for mobile operating systems. Flash memory fans can check the full releases below.

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SANDISK INTRODUCES WORLD'S FASTEST 128GB SDXC CARD-IDEAL FOR CAPTURING FULL HD 3D VIDEOS AND HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS

· Can capture up to 10 hours of Full HD 3D video-enough capacity to film an entire day at the Consumer Electronics Show

· Features up to 45 megabyte per second read and write speeds for faster shot-to-shot performance and quick data transfers

· Shipping worldwide in 64GB and 128GB capacities carrying MSRPs of $199.99 and $399.99 respectively

Video Recording Drives Growth of User-Generated Content

Advanced DSLR cameras and HD camcorders enable imaging enthusiasts to capture Full HD 1080p videos, even in 3D. According to IDC3, user-generated video from digital cameras and flash memory-equipped camcorders will increase more than 50 percent, from 4 exabytes in 2011 to 6.8 exabytes in 2014.

"Consumer video capture is driving user-generated content creation," said Chris Chute, research manager, worldwide digital imaging solutions, IDC. "This is the first year that more than half of all video captured will be in HD, and that number is set to reach nearly 80 percent in 2014. This trend highlights the need for memory cards that are fast enough to handle a massive data flow while offering enough capacity to store the resulting files."

The 128GB SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I card is based on the new Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) architecture and is designed to capture hours of top-quality video footage. The card's UHS Speed Class 1 rating surpasses the recording requirements of demanding video use cases-from home movies captured on a DSLR to high-quality 3D footage.

"Five minutes of Full HD video can consume one gigabyte of storage space," said Susan Park, director, product marketing, SanDisk. "Our new SanDisk Extreme SDXC card can capture up to ten hours of Full HD 3D video, enough to film an entire day here at the Consumer Electronics Show."

The SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I card is designed to help imaging enthusiasts shoot like the pros, with the speed and capacity needed to capture not only high-quality videos but also high-resolution RAW+JPEG photos, which can reach up to 30 megabytes in size.

Faster Shot-to-Shot Performance, Faster File Transfers

The SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I card features up to 45MB/sec read/write speeds4, enabling photographers to capture sequences of high-resolution photos using their camera's burst mode and then quickly transfer the files to a computer.

The card's fast shot-to-shot performance lets photographers capture the images that matter most to them-whether using a point-and-shoot camera to take photos of a young child's first steps or a DSLR to capture a high school track star racing across the finish line. The card's fast file-transfer speed lets photographers offload an hour-long Full HD video in five minutes or a batch of 500 high-resolution photos in as little as one minute5.

The SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I card is backed by SanDisk's reputation for quality-professional photographers trust SanDisk. The card provides consumers with the reliability and durability they need to capture photos anytime, anywhere, and includes a built-in write-protect switch to help prevent accidental data loss. For added protection, the card includes a one-year downloadable offer for RescuePRO® Deluxe data recovery software (a $59.99 value), which can bring accidentally deleted images back to life.


Pricing and Availability

The 64GB and 128GB SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I cards are shipping worldwide with MSRPs of $199.99 and $399.99 respectively.

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MOBILE DEVICES ABLE TO ADD FEATURES, CAPACITY AND POWER IN 2012 WITH SANDISK EMBEDDED FLASH MEMORY

· iNAND Ultra™ embedded flash memory to be built on world's most advanced 19nm process technology

· Advanced manufacturing and innovative packaging techniques deliver storage capacities up to 64GB1 in tiny footprint for tablets, smartphones and other consumer electronics devices

· Optimized for next-generation mobile operating systems

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, January 9, 2012 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that the iNAND Ultra line of products will be the first of its embedded flash memory products to move to 19 nanometer (nm) manufacturing technology, the industry's most advanced chip making process.

Advanced Manufacturing and Packaging Enables Slim, Powerful Mobile Devices

Shrinking the size of electronic circuitry allows equipment makers to develop products with larger storage capacities, providing consumers the ability to enjoy more content on smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. A nanometer measures one-billionth of a meter, meaning that 19nm circuit lines are so small that about 3,000 of them could fit across the width of a human hair.

iNAND Ultra solutions are used by leading mobile device makers around the world. The e.MMC™ (standards-based embedded mobile interface) devices built on SanDisk's 19nm technology will use the company's two-bit per cell technology – SanDisk's tenth generation of multi-level cell products. Sleeker, slim form factor product designs are also enabled by SanDisk's innovative packaging technology that provides up to 64GB of storage capacity in a package just 11.5mm x 13mm in size. Advanced packaging techniques allow SanDisk to offer certain capacities in packages as thin as 1mm.

"The iNAND Ultra products will be the first of our three iNAND embedded flash memory families to migrate to leading-edge 19nm process technology in 2012," said Amir Lehr, vice president, Embedded Memory Business. "SanDisk's advanced manufacturing and packaging expertise allows us to support increased storage capacities and smaller device footprint requirements to meet the growing demand for sleeker, more feature rich mobile devices."

Fast Performance and Tight Host Integration Deliver Improved User Experience

iNAND Ultra products are optimized for current and future generations of leading mobile operating systems such as Google Android and Windows Mobile. This hardware optimization for key operating systems combined with outstanding random performance characteristics help provide consumers with mobile devices that are highly responsive and deliver outstanding browsing and multitasking performance.

The new products feature up to 20 megabyte per second (MB/sec) sequential write and up to 80MB/sec sequential read performance for faster file transfers. In addition, SanDisk works closely with major OEMs and chipset vendors to ensure the tight integration required between the host device and embedded flash memory. This helps ensure the best possible mobile user experience and has resulted in SanDisk embedded memory technology being incorporated into leading mobile reference designs.

Segmented Product Portfolio Meets the Needs of All Mobile Devices

As smaller, more powerful mobile devices have proliferated throughout the consumer electronics market, the use of flash memory has expanded from mobile phones and tablets to enable new products and new usage models. The SanDisk iNAND product family includes an embedded storage solution for every performance segment and capacity point in the mobile market. The SanDisk iNAND™ family includes iNAND, iNAND Ultra and iNAND Extreme™ products.