Articles about Western Digital

Western Digital has introduced new storage products under its SanDisk and WD_BLACK brands, designed to meet the needs of professionals, gamers, and everyday users. With a focus on speed, durability, and capacity, these drives aim to handle a variety of data storage demands.

SanDisk has launched two portable SSDs tailored for creators and professionals who need fast, rugged storage on the go. The SanDisk Extreme PRO USB4 Portable SSD offers cutting-edge performance, featuring a USB4 interface with read speeds of up to 3,800MB/s and write speeds of 3,700MB/s. Its durable design includes a silicone shell, a forged aluminum chassis, and an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance. The drive is drop-resistant up to two meters. Expected to launch in early 2025, the SanDisk Extreme PRO will be available in 2TB and 4TB models priced at $279.99 and $429.99, respectively.

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Western Digital has been helping people store their digital lives on the go for two decades. To mark the 20th anniversary of its popular My Passport drive, the company has released a special edition - the My Passport Ultra, 20th Emerald Anniversary Edition. First launched in 2004, the My Passport drive now boasts capacities as large as 6TB, a massive increase from the original 40GB model.

This special edition drive sports a beautiful emerald color, which Western Digital says symbolizes loyalty, peace, and security. It’s not just about looks, though. The My Passport Ultra continues the company’s tradition of durability and reliability, offering a sleek anodized metal enclosure for extra protection. It works right out of the box with Windows, Mac, and even mobile devices, making it a versatile choice for today’s tech-savvy users.

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In a world where digital content is rapidly expanding, the need for larger and more robust storage solutions has never been greater. Western Digital has stepped up to meet this demand with the introduction of a groundbreaking portable HDD expansion across its WD, WD_BLACK, and SanDisk Professional product lines. These new additions boast the world’s highest storage capacity in a 2.5” portable HDD, bringing 6TB capacities to the WD My Passport portable HDD line, WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive, and SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD.

“Expanding our portfolio with the world’s first 2.5” 6TB portable hard drive is an incredible technological achievement, and it enables us to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible,” said Nitin Kachhwaha, Director of Product Management at Western Digital. “Offering up to 6TB in such a small form factor and accessible price point gives everyone—from students, gamers, professional videographers, and more—greater flexibility to create and keep even more of their essential content in one portable drive.”

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Western Digital has launched the SanDisk Desk Drive, the latest addition tonits portfolio of external desktop SSDs. This new storage device is designed to accommodate the expansive data needs of digital creators and professionals managing large volumes of content.

The introduction of the SanDisk Desk Drive is a response to increasing demands for robust storage solutions capable of handling the burgeoning production of digital content. Susan Park, Vice President of Consumer Solutions at Western Digital, discussed the expansion, stating, "As the volume of digital content grows, there is a heightened need for storage solutions that can offer both higher capacity and performance."

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Western Digital has rolled out a top-tier, high-functioning M.2 2230 SSD specifically tailored for handheld PC gaming devices under its WD_BLACK branding. Called “SN770M,” this NVMe SSD is very fast and offered in several capacities. Owners of Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and similar devices will want to check this drive out.

Designed in a compact M.2 2230 form-factor, the WD_BLACK SN770M NVMe SSD offers gamers an opportunity to increase their handheld gaming PC's internal storage, ensuring they carry their expansive game collection wherever they wander. The drive boasts a myriad of features, ranging from PCIe Gen 4.0, Western Digital's nCache 4.0 tech, to Microsoft's DirectStorage support, propelling game installations and level loads with an impressive speed of up to 5,150 MB/s.

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Do you need a PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive? Probably not. I mean, nobody really needs the fast speeds these drives offer. However, the drool-worthy performance is certainly nice to have. Look, if you can afford such an SSD and your computer supports it at full speed, you might as well get one. I mean, why not?

Today, Western Digital launches its latest such PCIe 4.0 SSD. Called "WD_BLACK SN770," it features blazing fast speeds and capacities up to 2TB. While this SSD is designed for gamers, it should prove to be a solid choice for any and all storage needs. In other words, even non-gamers should check it out

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Battlefield 2042 is one of the most highly anticipated video games, and it is due out later this year. It is currently scheduled for an October 22 release, but as we all know, these dates can be pushed back due to unforeseen issues. With that said, I am pretty confident Electronic Arts will meet this deadline, and Battlefield 2042 will prove to be one of the hottest Christmas gifts this year.

If you want to ensure you get your copy of Battlefield 2042 and that your PC's storage can load it quickly, Western Digital has a special bundle you must check out. You see, the company has launched a special Battlefield 2042 variant of its WD_Black SN750 SE NVMe SSD. Not only does it comes with a redeemable download code for the game, but it is emblazoned with really cool Battlefield 2042 branding.

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The transition to PCIe 4.0 is in full effect, with more and more computers and motherboards having the new standard. Whether consumers truly need the benefits of PCIe 4.0 today is debatable, but it is still cool regardless. After all, it is important to continually push boundaries.

One of the best aspects of PCIe 4.0 is faster solid state drives, of course. For instance, today, Western Digital unveils its latest NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD. Called "WD_BLACK SN750 SE," it is designed for both gamers and PC enthusiasts.

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Can you believe it? It is 2021 and Apple still hasn't added USB-C to the iPhone! The company has added the connection to the iPad Pro and its Mac computers, but its smartphones still use Lightning. This is both frustrating and disappointing, as it means consumers can't streamline their chargers and cables. It also means you cannot easily plug a USB-C flash drive into an iPhone like you can with Android.

If you have been wanting to connect a flash drive to your iPhone without the use of dongles, Western Digital's SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe can make this a reality. You see, the drive features both Lightning and USB Type-C connectors, meaning it will work with iPhone, Android, and modern computers. While such a drive is not a new concept, this is apparently the first 2-in-1 from WD with an all-metal body.

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It was damn near a year ago when we told you about the Western Digital WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. This drive was very fast thanks to its PCIe 3.0 interface. In fact, the drive could achieve an impressive 2,400 MB/s read. It was a no-nonsense SSD that provided excellent performance at a competitive price. For instance, the 1TB model can be had here for under $100.

Unfortunately, that 1TB variant was the top capacity, with the other two being 250GB and 500GB. What if you needed more than a terabyte of storage? Thankfully, starting today, the WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD now comes in 2TB -- double the previous top capacity.

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Western Digital makes damn good storage products, and its WD_BLACK line is probably its most intriguing. While primarily designed for gamers, WD_BLACK is also a great choice for enthusiasts that crave high performance and elegant designs.

Today, Western Digital unveils a trio of new WD_BLACK gaming NVMe SSD products, and all three look incredible. There is the SN850 which is a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD, the AN1500 PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD Add-in card, and the drop-dead gorgeous D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD -- a Thunderbolt 3 docking station with integrated NVMe SSD.

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You can never go wrong by purchasing SanDisk storage products. From memory cards to solid state drives, they are consistently excellent. Not only are the drives often quite fast, but more importantly, they are extremely reliable too. While not the only company making great flash storage products, I try to only use SanDisk SD cards in my camera when taking family photos -- the content is too important to lose.

SanDisk's Extreme and Extreme PRO Portable SSDs are quite popular thanks to their high-end performance and durable housings, and today, the company launches the next generation. Designated as "V2," both the Pro and non-Pro drives feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption and IP55 ratings for both water and dust resistance. SanDisk says both feature drop protection of up to 3 meters.

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Encrypting your data can be very important -- particularly for businesses that deal with sensitive information and trade secrets. However, working with encrypted media isn't always a walk in the park. Quite frankly, the concept of encrypting and decrypting a drive can be very confusing for some end users. And so, out of convenience, encryption is sometimes skipped -- tragic but understandable.

Thankfully, thanks to things like biometrics, working with encrypted drives can be easier, although that isn't always ideal for an IT department looking to work with many users and drives. Hell, with remote work exploding, it may not be possible to set up an employee's fingerprint. To simplify things, Western Digital has developed a new platform called "ArmorLock" that allows users to lock and unlock a drive using their smartphone (Bluetooth and an app). IT departments can easily set up the drive and authorize users before shipping it out to them. Today, under its "G-Technology" brand, Western Digital launches its first-ever drive to use the platform -- the ArmorLock encrypted NVMe SSD

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I still remember getting my first-ever solid state drive -- a SATA model with a small capacity by today's standards. It was mind-blowing to see how fast Windows could boot from it. Also great? No longer being forced to hear the sound of a mechanical hard drive seeking for data. All things considered, the transition from HDD to SSD was one of the most significant upgrades of my entire computing life. And you know what? I am sure many consumers would say the same.

With all of that said, solid state drives aren't just great inside computers -- they work wonderfully outside of them too. What do I mean by that? I am referring to portable storage. Thanks to NVMe drives, external storage devices can be faster and tinier than ever. Not to mention, with USB-C, you never have to worry about plugging in the connector the wrong way either. Today, Western Digital launches such a drive and it is absolutely gorgeous. Called "WD My Passport SSD," it features an internal NVMe drive, USB-C connectivity, and a beautiful metal exterior that oozes elegance.

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When you think of portable storage, SanDisk is a name that likely comes to mind. The brand (now owned by Western Digital) has long been producing quality memory cards and flash drives. Personally, when choosing an SD card for my camera, I always go with SanDisk. Sure, there are less expensive options, but I know from experience, when it comes to storing important family photos, you should never go cheap. SanDisk cards offer great performance, but more importantly, they are extremely reliable.

And now, at CES 2020, Western Digital is, of course, highlighting products from its SanDisk brand. There are two new offerings that are very impressive. One is just a prototype (for now), but it is certainly the more exciting of the pair -- an 8TB portable USB 3.1 gen 2 SSD. That's big capacity from such a small drive. Even smaller, however, is the Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB 3.1 Gen 1 flash drive. This drive comes in capacities ranging from 32GB to a massive 1TB. It offers dual connectivity -- USB-A and USB-C.

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