Seagate announces 'world’s slimmest and fastest' 2TB mobile HDD

Almond Joy and Mounds are two fairly popular candy bars -- I see them often in most convenience stores. Both feature coconut and chocolate, but only the former features nuts. There was quite the popular marketing campaign years ago, with the jingle of "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't". The same can be said of technology. Sometimes you feel like a solid state drive, sometimes you don't. But why would you ever prefer a mechanical hard drive?

Capacity. True, SSDs are faster, but HDDs typically offer higher capacities at lower prices. If cost and capacity are your focus -- speed be damned -- a hard disk drive could be what you need. Today, Seagate releases what it claims is the "world's slimmest and fastest" 2TB mobile hard drive. Oh my.

"Utilizing 1TB per disk, the Seagate Mobile HDD delivers the highest capacity possible in a small 7mm form factor. Compatible with most of today's mobile computers, the drive's standard SATA 6Gb/s interface provides for easy integration into existing laptop designs and portable computer upgrades. With up to 2TB of space, the Mobile HDD enables affordable high capacity storage, while supporting over 200,000 photos, 250,000 songs or 124 hours of high definition video. The drive is available in both 1TB and 2TB capacities", says Seagate.

The popular storage disk manufacturer further says, "weighing just 3.17 oz., the diminutive Mobile HDD is 25 percent lighter than the previous generation of mobile hard drives. A smaller 7mm drive frees up valuable space in a mobile device to accommodate additional designed-in features, such as bigger batteries, more memory and better air circulation".

You may have been wondering why a slim HDD matters, and there's your answer, folks. PC manufacturers can leverage these drives when designing a laptop, leading to increased room in the chassis. Even the weight reduction on the drive, which is fairly inconsequential on its own, can contribute to overall decreased heft as other components are made lighter too.

While 7mm is certainly the world's thinnest 2TB 2.5 inch drive, the "fastest" claim will have to be tested for verification. You can read the specs here, but there are many ways to measure speed. In other words, I would take the claim with a grain of salt -- for now.

READ MORE: Toshiba 15nm TLC SG5 SSD has up to 1TB capacity and either 2.5 inch or M.2 form factor

Either way, the slim nature of Seagate's new drive is absolutely insane -- fitting dual 1TB platters in such a thin body is downright impressive, and will further push the boundaries of what can be achieved. With that said, this is merely a cost-focused stop gap until high-capacity M.2-styled SSDs are made more affordable.

Seagate is shipping the drive to sellers and manufacturers now, so price and availability should become clear soon.