Western Digital Unveils Modular Solutions For Professionals and Creatives

The What's Next Western Digital Event did not disappoint professionals and creatives by announcing new products from the SanDisk and SanDisk Professional brands that included a modular SSD ecosystem and faster UHS-I SD and microSD memory cards. The new memory cards were designed to empower professionals and creatives worldwide. The new solutions are centered on delivering high-performance, scalable, and reliable solutions to enable creators to actualize their aspirations.

The What's Next Western Digital Event did not disappoint professionals and creatives by announcing new products from the SanDisk and SanDisk Professional brands that included a modular SSD ecosystem and faster UHS-I SD and microSD memory cards. The new memory cards were designed to empower professionals and creatives worldwide. The new solutions are centered on delivering high-performance, scalable, and reliable solutions to enable creators to actualize their aspirations.

The SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE Modular SSD Ecosystem is designed to meet the need for multiple, super-fast portable storage devices to quickly ingest, edit, and copy large volumes of high-resolution content. The PRO-BLADEecosystem lets users easily swap out lightweight, high-capacity PRO-BLADE SSD mags so they can carry terabytes of storage without excess bulk. The new modular system will transform the workflow with scalable capacity and time-saving convenience on location and back in the studio for the professional filmmaker.

PRO-BLADE SSD Mag – A versatile NVMe SSD mag that powers the ultimate modular SSD ecosystem. The PRO BLADE SSD mag allows users to scale the storage they need instantly, no matter the location.

Users can create a powerful portable SSD by loading the PRO-BLADE SSD mag into the portable PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enclosure. The PRO-BLADE STATION desktop enclosure supports loading up to four SSD mags. The rugged PRO-BLADE SSD mag offers physical ruggedness by being able to take up to 3m drop and 4,000lbs crush resistance.

The PRO-BLADE SSD mag is offered in 1TB ($179.99 U.S. MSRP), 2TB ($289.99 U.S. MSRP), and 4TB ($599.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in June 2022.

PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable SSD enclosure – A portable and modular SSD workflow scalability. Pair multiple, lightweight PRO-BLADE SSD mags with the PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable USB-C (20Gbps) enclosure for up to 2000MB/s read and write speeds.

Carry terabytes of storage without excess bulk. Attaching a camera rig to the USB- C port on the enclosure to record high-res content directly onto one of the loaded mags. The PRO-BLADE Transport portable SSD enclosure will be available in 0TB ($69.99 U.S. MSRP), 1TB ($239.99 U.S. MSRP), 2TB ($359.99 U.S. MSRP), and 4TB ($659.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in June 2022.

PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure – Professionals looking for a fast way to ingest, copy, and edit their content, the PRO-BLADE STATION desktop system can load up to four PRO-BLADE SSD mags at once, creating a powerful Thunderbolt SSD device.

The desktop SSD enclosure utilizes a Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) interface to load and swap up to four high-capacity PRO-BLADE SSD mags for simultaneous offloading, real-time 4K/8K/12K editing, and fast copies. The PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure will be available in late 2022 in the United States, with pricing announced closer to product availability.

Western Digital also announced improved UHS-I read speeds of up to 200MB/s on its SanDisk Extreme PRO-class memory card line. The increased speed for the SanDisk Extreme PRO cards is achieved by leveraging Western Digital's proprietary SanDisk QuickFlow technology.

Paired with the new SanDisk Professional PRO-READER SD and microSD device, the cards deliver speeds that enable creatives to offload content quickly. The new SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I SD and microSD cards are expected to ship in early June 2022.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I SD card pricing ranges from $18.79 (64GB) up to $279.99 (1TB) U.S. MSRP, and the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I microSD card pricing has not been disclosed. The SanDisk Professional PRO-READER SD & microSD device is expected to ship in June 2022 for $49.99 (U.S. MSRP).

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I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology.