The 256GB SanDisk Ultra® microSD card with the Latest A1 SD Specification Offers Mobile Users Even More Storage Expansion Options
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a global storage technology and solutions leader, today unveiled the world’s first microSDTM 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® microSDXCTM UHS-I card, Premium Edition, delivers capacity, speed and enhanced capability to deliver a better smartphone experience1.
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 percent of smartphone models on the market contain microSD slots, according to data from Strategy Analytics2. 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 video3 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.”
Long used by billions to expand capacity for photos, videos, music and many other digital files, the, microSD card now must evolve to support application-intensive environments, paving the way for a new dimension of memory card performance. With the introduction of the Android Marshmallow 6 operating system, users can expand storage capacity on smartphones by selecting the microSD card as preferred or adoptable storage, which means apps can now be loaded and launched directly from the A1 microSD card.
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.
“SD technology is trusted by consumers around the world for its reliable, backwards compatible and
highly interoperable storage, making it the world’s leading memory format with billions of SD memory cards and devices in the market,” said Brian Kumagai, SDA president. “The A1 specification will help consumers identify the appropriate card to ensure an optimal experience when running and launching apps on their smartphone. We are pleased that SanDisk will release an A1 card, and continues to contribute to breakthrough technologies enabled by the microSD format.”
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™ Store4. The card will be introduced in retail starting April 1st at MRP of INR 18,990.
