Mobile device users looking for a large storage solution have another option on the horizon as KIOXIA announces its 2 TB microSD card. KIOXIA has said that its EXCERIA PLUS G2 2TB microSDXC UHS-I memory card will launch globally in the first quarter of 2024. Read/write speeds, depending on the capability of the device being used, can reach as high as 100 MB/s and 90 MB/s respectively, and are compliant with A1/V30 application and video classes. KIOXIA has not revealed in its news release what the MSRP will be.
KIOXIA explained that it used a proprietary technique to stack 16x 1 terabit 3D flash memory dies onto the card while keeping it within the required 0.8 mm thickness standard for microSD cards. This is quite an impressive feat giving the small form factor a huge amount of storage for its size. From phones and cameras to laptops, tablets, and gaming handhelds, this presents a massive step forward for mobile storage options. According to TechPowerUp, this card is already available in Japan but this will be the first time KIOXIA has released it in other markets.
Press release (via KIOXIA news page):
“Kioxia Singapore Pte Ltd, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced that it has started mass production of the 2 terabyte (TB) microSDXC memory card, a breakthrough for smartphone owners, content creators and on-the-go gamers. With enhanced performance and capacity, EXCERIA PLUS G2 2TB microSDXC memory cards are here to put less limits on what users can record and store.
By leveraging proprietary manufacturing technology including its innovative BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory and an in-house designed controller, KIOXIA has successfully manufactured a 2TB microSDXC UHS-I memory card. Though the SD Association’s SDXC specification has supported memory cards up to 2TB for over a decade, KIOXIA accomplished this challenge by stacking sixteen 1 terabit dies of 3D flash memory while maintaining the specification’s maximum thickness of 0.8 mm.
With read speed up to 100 MB/s and write speed up to 90 MB/s, EXCERIA PLUS G2 2TB microSDXC memory cards meet UHS Speed Class 3 (U3), Application Class 1 (A1) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30). The 2TB capacity allows users to record over 41 hours of video (100Mbps), making them suited for high-capacity data recording applications like action cameras.
Market introduction of EXCERIA PLUS G2 2TB microSDXC memory cards is scheduled to begin in the coming quarter.“