Western Digital Unveils Unmatched Combination of Speed and Portability With Its Enhanced Line of SanDisk Extreme Portable SSDs

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today released two new SanDisk® portable SSDs that offer nearly 2x the speed over previous generations. The SanDisk Extreme® and SanDisk Extreme PRO® portable SSDs are purpose-built to keep up with today's high-quality content demands. Professional photographers, videographers and enthusiasts capture and keep life's best moments every day and they need reliable solutions that perform on the move at astonishing speeds.

With capacities up to 2TB*, the new NVMe™ drives are perfect for creating amazing content or capturing and moving incredible 4K and 8K footage with ease. The flagship SanDisk Extreme PRO portable SSD features a forged aluminum chassis made to stay cool under the pressure of a heavy workload and a durable silicone design to withstand the rigors of production. The drives also help keep content safe with password protection and an upgrade to 256-bit AES hardware encryption¹.

"When every second counts, I need fast and powerful solutions that work as quickly as I do. I rely on SanDisk SSDs to keep up with my creativity," said Tyler Stableford, SanDisk Extreme Team member. "As an artist, speed is one of my greatest strengths, and I know with the SanDisk Extreme line of SSDs, I can get the job done with greater efficiency and capacity, and I never have to worry about running out of memory wherever the job takes me."

Rugged and Powerful SSD Performance
Designed with professionals in mind, the new SanDisk portable SSDs were built to reliably handle the most challenging assignments – whether at home, in the office or out on location. The SanDisk Extreme portable SSD is a great go-to drive for those who need more memory and a durable and fast drive, while the SanDisk Extreme PRO was built for an avid pro who needs even, sustained performance and a drive that can go anywhere.

"For our customers, life is an adventure and they rely on us to raise the bar across our portfolio when it comes to delivering powerful solutions to consumers and professionals alike," said Brian Pridgeon, director of marketing, Consumer Solutions, Western Digital. "The SanDisk brand is trusted by professional photographers worldwide, which is why we built our Extreme family of drives to perform at the highest level. We amped up the speeds with the latest NVMe technology and used robust materials in our designs to handle the best shots and the most demanding jobs."

Key Features

• SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD

  • Save time storing and transferring data with powerful NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 2000MB/s** read and up to 2000MB/s** write speeds.

  • A forged aluminum chassis acts as a heatsink to deliver higher sustained speeds in a portable form factor.

  • Up to two-meter drop protection and an IP55 rating² make the drive tough enough to take on any adventure. The drive's forged aluminum chassis and silicone shell design offer a premium feel and added protection.

  • Helps keep private content private with password protection and an upgrade to 256-bit AES hardware encryption¹.

• SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

  • Get NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 1050MB/s** read and up to 1000MB/s** write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive that's perfect for creating amazing content or capturing incredible footage.

  • For added durability, the drive features up to two-meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance².

  • Durable silicone shell that offers a premium feel and added protection to the drive's exterior.

  • Helps keep private content private with password protection and an upgrade to 256-bit AES hardware encryption¹.

Ready to move, consumers can use the handy carabiner loop to secure the drives to a belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind. The new drives are compatible with PC and Mac computers. In addition to moving content to a PC or laptop, the new products also now allow users to back up mobile content quickly and easily thanks to compatibility with a range of USB Type-C™ smartphones.

Pricing and Availability
The SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO portable SSDs are backed by a five-year limited warranty³ and are now available at the Western Digital Store, and at select e-tailers and retailers worldwideThe SanDisk Extreme portable SSD is available now in 500GB* (MSRP of $119.99 USD) and 1TB* (MSRP $199.99 USD), and is expected to ship in 2TB* later this holiday season. The SanDisk Extreme PRO portable SSD is available now in 2TB* (MSRP of $499.99 USD), and is expected to ship in 1TB* later this holiday season.

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*1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes and 1TB=1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.

**Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.

1. Password protection uses 256-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 8, Windows 10 and macOS v10.9+ (Software download required for Mac, see www.sandisk.com/secureaccess.)

2. Based on internal testing. IPEC 60529 IP 55: Tested to withstand water flow (30 kPa) at 3 min.; limited dust contact does not interfere with operation. Must be clean and dry before use.

3. See www.sandisk.com/wug.

About Western Digital
Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. As a leader in data infrastructure, the company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk®, and WD® brands.

Western Digital, the Western Digital logo, G-Technology, SanDisk, the SanDisk logo, SanDisk Extreme, SanDisk Extreme PRO, and WD are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. USB Type-C is a trademark of USB Implementers Forum. The NVMe mark is a registered trademark of NVM Express, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from actual products.

© 2020 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Western Digital Technologies, Inc. is the seller of record and licensee in the Americas of SanDisk® products.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including the expected availability, benefits, features, pricing and performance of the new SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO portable SSDs. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate including, among others: changes to specifications from standards organizations, future responses to and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, volatility in global economic conditions; business conditions and growth in the storage ecosystem; impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance and cost of commodity materials and specialized product components; actions by competitors; unexpected advances in competing technologies; our development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, mergers and joint ventures; difficulties or delays in manufacturing, and other risks and uncertainties listed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's most recently filed periodic report, to which your attention is directed. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.