Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Western Digital unveiled the “world’s fastest” 1TB microSD card. This previously unthinkable storage capacity arrives on the scene with transfer speeds up to 160MB/s. But the SanDisk 1TB microSD card isn’t the only storage making waves at MWC. Micron is announcing its own version as well. Either way, that’s a lot of Nintendo Switch games, GoPro videos or storage for your Android device. More below.
SanDisk 1TB microSD card arrives as the “world’s fastest”
Each year at Mobile World Congress, we seem to see the next big storage release. This year didn’t disappoint as Western Digital sub-brand SanDisk is detailing a new 1TB microSD card, which it is calling the “world’s fastest” at launch.
SanDisk will be charging $449.99 for its 1TB card, a hefty markup considering pricing for other 256GB and 512GB models on the market today. But if you’re in need of some serious storage, this microSD card arrives with major transfer speeds and ample space.
Western Digital is quoting its 1TB behemoth as delivering speeds up to 160MB/s. We’ve seen these speeds prior from SanDisk’s Extreme lineup, which tops out at 400GB currently.
A 512GB model will also be available in the coming months as well for $199.99. Both capacities from SanDisk are currently available for pre-order today direct from the manufacturer.
Micron also introduces 1TB microSD card
Micron is also using MWC to introduce its own 1TB microSD card, which will lack in transfer speeds when compared to SanDisk’s Extreme line. According to today’s press release, this model tops out at 100MB/s read speeds and 95MB/s when writing data. That’s a step down from SanDisk’s promised 160MB/s speeds, but you can assume that the price will be easier to stomach as well.
The Micron C200 1TB microSD card will be available worldwide in Q2 2019. Final pricing has yet to be announced at the time of this writing.
9to5Toys’ Take
Whew, 1TB is a lot of Nintendo Switch games. But for those toting around high-end equipment, today’s news from SanDisk is certainly going to be an attractive option with transfer speeds up to 160MB/s. That said, 1TB of storage is a lot for any mobile user and not practical for the standard consumer. Hopefully these prices will continue to drop over time below the current $450 MSRP. At which point, it may be more worthwhile as additional devices offer support for this level of storage and transfer speeds.
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