Addressing the requirements of data centers, Western Digital announced its nine-disk mechanical platform, which includes energy-assisted recording technology.

The company will sample the 18TB Ultrastar DC HC550 CMR HDD and the 20TB Ultrastar DC HC650 SMR HDD to select customers by the end of 2019 with production ramp expected in the first half of 2020.

This rapid ramp and availability of the 20TB SMR drive following a technology preview in June 2019, supports an ecosystem and the continued industry adoption of SMR. Western Digital estimates that 50 percent of its HDD exabytes shipped will be on SMR by 2023.

Western Digital will offer a portfolio of Capacity Enterprise HDDs, with cost-optimized configurations for every important capacity point: six-disk 10TB Ultrastar DC HC330 air-based HDD; eight-disk 14TB Ultrastar DC HC530 helium-based HDD; nine-disk 18TB Ultrastar DC HC550 helium-based HDD; and a nine-disk 20TB Ultrastar DC HC650 helium-based HDD.

Western Digital's 10TB Ultrastar DC HC330 and 14TB Ultrastar DC HC530 are available now. The company will sample the 20TB Ultrastar DC HC650 SMR HDD and the Ultrastar DC HC550 CMR HDD in 18TB and 16TB capacities to select customers by the end of this year, with qualification and volume shipments beginning in the first half of 2020.

Storage Products for IFA 2019

Western Digital will also showcase its latest offerings from its WD_Black line of gaming products, WD and SanDisk brands at IFA 2019.

WD_Black

Among the five new gaming solutions showcased is the WD_Black P50 Game Drive SSD, which is the first game drive to feature a SuperSpeed USB (20Gb/s) interface. The WD_Black P50 Game Drive SSD is expected to be available later this year. Additionally, the portfolio includes two Xbox-licensed drives, the WD_Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox One (available now) and WD_Black D10 Game Drive for Xbox One (expected to be available later this month). These two drives come with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial membership.

WD

The My Passport line of portable drives has been refreshed. Now with up to 5TB, in its slimmest form factor yet (0.75 in thick), WD offers consumers more capacity to carry along and preserve photos, videos and documents wherever their journey takes them. The new My Passport and My Passport for Mac drives feature a new color palette and come with a three-year limited warranty.
The My Passport drive is formatted for Windows 10 and will feature a USB 3.0 connector that is compatible with USB 2.0. The My Passport for Mac drive is formatted for macOS Mojave and will have a USB-C™ connector to deliver plug-and-play storage out of the box.

The slim drives are available now starting at just $79.99 MSRP USD in the U.S. for 1TB from the Western Digital Store and Best Buy, and are slated to be available at other popular retailers later this fall.

SanDisk

Featuring next-generation NVMe technology, the company is unveiling its fastest memory card yet, the SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Card Type B. The new card is designed for photographers and videographers. With speeds over three times the speed of the company's current performance card formats, the CFexpress card enables consistent recording of RAW 6K video. The card is scheduled to be available later this year. Additionally, the company is launching the 1TB SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-I memory card - the world’s fastest 1TB UHS-I SD card. Expected to ship at the end of this month, this super high-capacity SD card is perfect for shooting 4K UHD video and sequential burst mode photography.

Another breakthrough product from SanDisk, the two-in-one wireless charger with automatic local backup, the iXpand Wireless Charger, is on display at IFA. The new device offers consumers local photo backup for Qi-enabled iPhone and Android devices while charging. It’s an easy way to keep memories safe with no change in charging habits. Forthose looking to quickly add extra storage to their iPhone, and free up space for more photos and videos, SanDisk is also rolling out the new iXpand Flash Drive Go. Both products are available now in select regions.