MWC 2018 | The SanDisk Extreme 400 GB MicroSD card is the world's fastest UHS-I MicroSD card

SanDisk Extreme 400 GB. (Source: SanDisk)

MicroSD cards have been getting steadily faster over the last few years with sequential speeds that compete with 2.5-inch hard drivers and improvements in IOPS that make them more able to handle application storage. The newly announced SanDisk Extreme 400 GB is more than 50 percent faster than smaller capacity Sandisk Ultra UHS-I MicroSD cards.

by Craig Ward, 2018/02/27

At MWC 2018 today, SanDisk and Western Digital were proud to announce their new Extreme 400 GB UHS-I, claimed to be the fastest UHS-I MicroSD card in the world. Sequential performance is blazing fast with up to 160 MB/s read speeds and 90 MB/s write speeds, which match or outdo many 2.5-inch 5400rpm internal hard drives. These sequential speeds make the card ideal for sustained performance with writing larger files, such as recording 4K video or burst photo capture.

The Extreme 400 GB MicroSD is designed to the Application Performance Class 2 (A2) specifications, which specifies minimum read of 4000 IOPS and write of 2000 IOPS, providing some of the best application-based performance available on a MicroSD card. This is ideal for something like Android adopted storage, although the types of entry-level devices that benefit from adopted storage are unlikely to support a card of this size or to have the capability of matching its performance.

Additionally, Western Digital is also running a demonstration showcasing their next generation MicroSD cards running on a PCIe interface. Only a single lane is in use, but a single PCIe lane is still roughly 1.8-2.0 times faster than the SATA III specification.

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Press Release

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, Feb. 26, 2018 – As mobile content and applications grow increasingly sophisticated, Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) is transforming the mobile experience with new industry-leading mobile solutions designed to enable consumers to better capture, share and enjoy rich content on their devices. At Mobile World Congress, the company is releasing the world’s fastest UHS-I flash memory card, the 400GB¹ SanDisk Extreme® UHS-I microSDXC^TM card, and demonstrating the future of flash memory card technology with Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)-enabled cards, designed to deliver the performance required for the next wave of data and content-intensive applications.

Whether it’s exploring a new world in an immersive virtual reality app, or capturing 4K footage on a smartphone or drone, consumers can count on Western Digital to deliver even more robust mobile flash memory technology that offers them a premium experience on their favorite device.

The company’s new 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSD card is designed to help consumers move their high-quality content faster than ever. At 160MB/s*, the new card is more than 50 percent faster than current SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSD cards. The card is able to reach this unprecedented speed by leveraging Western Digital proprietary technology. The card will also feature the A2 specification to help launch and load apps at blazing speeds.

“Consumers expect an increasingly better mobile experience, and with our 3D NAND technology, we are pushing the boundaries of innovation to enable them to create and enjoy more rich content on their devices. Our expertise in flash memory and microSD card electronics enables us to achieve unmatched performance. The breakthrough SanDisk microSD card is evidence of Western Digital’s commitment to delivering more advanced solutions that enable data to thrive,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager, Client Solutions, Western Digital.

Western Digital is also showcasing a new platform to enable the future of flash memory cards with a demonstration of its PCIe-enabled SD card. In anticipation of the next generation of high-performance

mobile computing requirements, implementing PCIe technology will deliver the ability to read data files faster than today’s platform. Through Western Digital’s broad portfolio, this technology can now be demonstrated to boost the performance of SD cards. These speeds are essential for high-resolution content applications such as super-slow-motion video, RAW continuous burst mode and 8K video capture and playback. PCIe has traditionally been reserved for use in high-performance data center systems, where the single-lane PCIe Gen 3.0 standard specifications denote capabilities of achieving speeds of up to 985MB/s.²

At Mobile World Congress, Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain, Hall 3, stand number 3K33, Western Digital is demonstrating the world’s fastest UHS-I microSD card and PCIe-enabled flash memory card technology, as well as its new Western Digital PC SN720 and PC SN520 SSDs designed for responsive, always-connected user experiences on converged mobility devices.

Enabling the possibilities of data, Western Digital offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of products and solutions to help people capture, preserve, access and transform their personal content. For more information, visit our websites: WD and SanDisk.