SanDisk launches its USB 3.1 Flash Drives and First microSD Card of Application Performance Class 1 (A1)

Western Digital Corporation recently announced the launch of SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive, its fastest, high-capacity USB flash drive to date, and SanDisk Extreme Go USB 3.1 Flash Drive, a high-speed flash drive which is up to 35X faster than standard USB 2.0 drives. Delivering the speed, capacity, and reliability of an SSD, SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drives are ideal for creative professionals, tech enthusiasts, or anyone who creates and shares massive files, while SanDisk Extreme Go USB 3.1 Flash Drive allows consumers to quickly copy data on the go. These products will initially be available on Amazon and select retail outlets and subsequently rolled out to other retail partners in a phased manner.

A game-changer in the USB storage category, the SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive is capable of read speeds up to 420MB/s and writes speeds up to 380MB/s. With its unprecedented speeds, you can transfer full-length 4K movie to the drive in less than 15 seconds and 1000 photos in less than 25 seconds. The new drive also features a sophisticated design with a durable aluminum metal casing and a retractable connector for ultimate style and reliability.

With read and write speeds of up to 200MB/s and 150MB/s respectively, the SanDisk Extreme Go USB 3.1 Flash Drive offers a convenient way to transfer and share content and allows to transfer a full-length 4K movie in less than 40 seconds and 1000 photos in less than 60 seconds. This drive allows plenty of space to hold all of your photos, movies, songs and more.

“For a technology enthusiast and a consumer who is always on the go, these drives offer world class performance and convenience of moving content easily and quickly, without having to worry about a cable,” said Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager of SanDisk India and SAARC Retail Sales and Marketing, Western Digital Corporation. “With USB 3.1 interface on both the drives, and offering increased capacity and blazing speeds, these drives are our sleekest, and most powerful USB devices till date, thereby allowing consumers quick ways to access and move massive files rapidly.”

Pricing and Availability:

The new SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive will be available in 128GB and 256GB capacities at Rs. 8,490 and Rs. 13,990, respectively and SanDisk Extreme Go USB 3.1 Flash Drive will be available in 64GB and 128GB capacities at Rs. 3,990 and Rs. 5,990, respectively.

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Western Digital also unveiled the world’s first microSD card that meets the Application Performance Class 1 (A1) requirements from the latest SD Association’s SD 5.1 specifications. By meeting the A1 performance standard, the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition, delivers capacity, speed and enhanced capability to deliver a better smartphone experience.

Since the popular memory card format launched more than a decade ago, microSD cards have been instrumental in driving new segments in digital imaging like action cameras, drones, dashboard cameras and surveillance systems, and have significantly impacted the evolution of the smartphone. Today, approximately 75% smartphone models on the market contain microSD slots, according to data from Strategy Analytics. The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD card offers the capacity and performance consumers need to capture all of life’s moments without having to worry about what to delete. The card can hold up to 24 hours of Full HD video and with premium transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s. With A1 performance, the card can launch and run apps at blazing speeds.

"The microSD card has been an integral part of the digital revolution by providing more options for high performance, high capacity storage for smartphones,” said Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager of SanDisk India and SAARC Retail Sales and Marketing, Western Digital Corporation. “SanDisk cards are at the center of more than two billion consumer devices, and now with this A1 card, we’re proud to play a significant role in continuing to advance the trusted format.”

The A1 spec allows the new card to manage random read input-output access per second (IOPS) of 1,500 and write IOPS of 500, so it can quickly open apps and process accompanying tasks, such as audio, graphics, saved profiles and in-app permissions. With this in mind, the new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is designed to provide consumers a faster, more powerful app experience using cards.

The new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is compatible with the SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android, giving users an easy way to manage and back up content on their device. The app is available for free through the Google Play Store. The card will be introduced in retail starting April 1 at MRP of INR 18,990.

In interaction with The DQ Week on Sandisk’s GTM strategy for 2017, “Our GTM strategy is very consistent, our products are consumer products, we place our products in all forms in which consumer prefers whether it is traditional or online. Secondly, training the retail channel is one of the most important parts of our GTM strategy. We have to train the person which is on counter to provide the best to consumer. We keep coming out with relevant consumer campaigns, promotions to promote the products as well as motivate our channel,” said Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager of SanDisk India and SAARC Retail Sales and Marketing, Western Digital Corporation.

Any plan to work with government on government projects Rajesh Gupta told, “We do participate whenever initial discussions happen on what kind of technologies available, we do not get directly involved but we do get involved many times when solution providers comes to us.”