SanDisk has released not only newer, larger flash cards for existing formats, but a new flash card format as well. Compact Flash now reaches 4 GB, SD reaches 1 GB, and miniSD hits the market.
In a market already saturated with different flash card form factors, SanDisk has released a new format dubbed miniSD. Developed by the SD Association of which SanDisk is a member, miniSD is essentially just a shrunken Secure Digital card measuring a tiny 21.5 mm long, 20 mm wide and 1.4 mm thick. SanDisk is targeting the miniSD format at the latest round of "smaller is better" cellular phones where space is at a premium. The miniSD format is 40% smaller in footprint and 60% smaller volume-wise than traditional Secure Digital cards. Secure Digital, in turn, was built off of the MultiMedia Card format (MMC). A miniaturized MMC card format, Reduced Size MMC, was also announced recently.
Because miniSD is electrically identical to traditional SD cards, manufacturers can use the same controller chips to support both. In fact, SanDisk also announced a converter sleeve that will allow miniSD cards to be read in any existing Secure Digital slot on any device. miniSD is facing stiff competition in the flash card market, where there are no less than ten already existing card formats, with Compact Flash a healthy leader over second place Sony Memory Stick (the original version) and third place Secure Digital. miniSD cards will be available in 6, 32, 64, 128 and 256 MB capacities, and are expected to ship in 2003.
In separate announcements, SanDisk also unveiled several new high-capacity Compact Flash and Secure Digital cards. Compact Flash is currently the physically largest flash card format on the market, and also the one with the highest capacity. SanDisk's two new cards push that capacity up to 2.0 GB and 4.0 GB, respectively, larger than any other flash card yet announced. Compact Flash cards are very popular with digital camera manufacturers and with many models of Pocket PC, as well as the Palm OS-based TRGpro and HandEra 330 and the Sharp Zaurus. The new cards won't be cheap, however, as the 2 GB and 4 GB cards are expected to retail for $499.99 and $999.99 USD, respectively, this summer.
SanDisk has also announced two new Secure Digital cards at 512 MB and 1 GB capacity, respectively. Compact Flash cards have had support for 1 GB capacities for some time. Sony's Memory Stick format does not support capacities higher than 128 MB, but the new Memory Stick Pro format, due out later this month, does scale up to 1 GB. Secure Digital cards are used in a few cameras, some Pocket PCs, and most Palm handhelds. The 512MB SD card is expected to be available in the second quarter for $169.99 USD while the 1GB SD card is expected to be available in the third quarter for $329.99 USD.
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