SanDisk launches 4 USB flash drive lines, one up to 190MB/s

The flash memory storage leader SanDisk has launched its fastest, thinnest and highest capacity USB flash drives, with its new SanDisk Extreme capable of delivering up to 190MB/s. For comparison, many competing USB 3.0 products deliver up to between 60MB/s and 100MB/s. Its other ranges come in a several styles.

SanDisk claims its Extreme USB Flash drive series to be capable of transferring large files up to 10GB per minute, up to 10 times quicker than its earlier products. According to NPD In-Stat, USB 3.0 capable device shipments are expected to exceed 1 billion in 2014 compared to just 70 million in 2011, giving an idea of how quick USB 3.0 is taking off. The SanDisk Extreme USB range is now shipping in capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB.

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SanDisk's other new USB products include a Cruzer Glide with up 128GB capacity, a Cruzer Facet with a stylish stainless-steel casing and a Cruzer Pop custom designable for young urban users. These three ranges are USB 2.0 and are all shipping worldwide, apart from the 128GB capacity Cruzer Glide, which will ship worldwide in the third quarter.

For security, all ranges include password protection with 128-bit AES file encryption and the drives can be divided into two partitions, one encrypted and the other without protection. Each drive also comes with 2GB of secure online storage, accessible through any web browser.

It seems quite strange that SanDisk has decided it will release its highest capacity 128GB product as USB 2.0 only, but then again, many 1TB to 2TB external hard disks on the market are also USB 2.0 only. SanDisk has not indicated whether the 190MB/s speed on its Extreme series refers to read & write or just read only, considering flash memory products typically read several times quicker than their write speed.

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