Press Releases

Feb 27, 2017

Company Enhances its SanDisk-Branded Mobile Storage Portfolio with the Industry’s Highest Capacity e.MMC-Based Embedded Flash Drive

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, Barcelona, February 27, 2017 – Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today introduced the iNAND® 7350 storage solution, the company’s most advanced and highest capacity embedded flash drive (EFD) to date. Leveraging Western Digital’s 3D NAND and unique and highly intelligent, fourth-generation SmartSLC technology, iNAND 7350 delivers up to 256 gigabytes (GB)¹ of reliable and responsive embedded storage that is ideal for data-rich applications and next-generation mobile experiences.

“Our new 256GB iNAND 7350 is the highest capacity embedded storage device available today on e.MMC, the industry’s most proven interface,” said Christopher Bergey, vice president of Embedded and Integrated Solutions with Western Digital. “By combining our 3D NAND technology and latest application-aware architecture, we have built the iNAND 7350 storage device to deliver an exceptional balance of performance, capacity and cost-efficiency. This can enable smartphone manufacturers to introduce mainstream devices that offer the high capacity consumers crave and deliver outstanding application experiences – from high-quality 4K Ultra HD video playback to next-generation augmented reality (AR).”

Memory-Level and Application Architecture Advancements Enhance Capacity and Performance

Designed with smartphone original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) needs in mind, the iNAND 7350 is the first Western Digital embedded storage solution to leverage the company’s 3D NAND technology, which helps enhance the device’s performance, capacity and data retention.

The new addition to the SanDisk-branded iNAND family of solutions is the company’s best performing embedded mobile storage device to date. The newly enhanced SmartSLC technology inside iNAND 7350 enables it to quickly and intelligently respond on-demand to deliver the ideal level of application performance needed. This proven and proprietary technology also helps to enhance the device’s sequential write speed, allowing it to provide speeds of up to nearly 2 gigabits (Gb) per second². This translates to a better experience for consumers who can now transfer a 1GB digital file up to 40 percent faster compared to smartphones built with the company’s previous generation embedded mobile device.³ In addition, the iNAND 7350 also delivers outstanding random read performance, offering speeds of up to 22,000 IOPs⁴ – the fastest random read performance of any e.MMC device⁵.

With these advancements, the iNAND 7350 can easily support today’s most advanced Wi-Fi and cellular speeds, as well as popular applications such as social media. It can also enhance the performance of consumers’ most demanding experiences, such as 4K Ultra HD video capture, AR and virtual reality, and professional-quality photography.

* See https://www.sandisk.com/oem-design/mobile for additional product information or visit the SanDisk stand at Mobile World Congress 2017 (Hall 3, Stand Number 3K25).

Availability
Currently sampling iNAND 7350 storage solution to select OEMs, with general availability beginning in Q2 2017.

About Western Digital
Western Digital is an industry-leading provider of storage technologies and solutions that enable people to create, leverage, experience and preserve data. The company addresses ever-changing market needs by providing a full portfolio of compelling, high-quality storage solutions with customer-focused innovation, high efficiency, flexibility and speed. Our products are marketed under the HGST, SanDisk and WD brands to OEMs, distributors, resellers, cloud infrastructure providers and consumers. Financial and investor information is available on the company's Investor Relations website at investor.wdc.com.

¹1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.

²Speed based on 128GB capacity only; actual sequential write speeds up to 250MB/s. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon drive capacity, host device, file attributes, OS and application.

³Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon drive capacity, host device, file attributes, OS and application.

⁴22,000 IOPs speed based on 128GB and 256GB only. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon drive capacity, host device, file attributes, OS and application.

⁵Highest speed based on 32GB only. Based on internal testing using Android Bench; performance may vary depending upon drive capacity, host device, file attributes, OS and application.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for 3D NAND technology, including its development, timing for initial output, commercial volume production, product sampling and shipment, capabilities, performance improvements, applications, capacities and customers that are based on current expectations. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate including, among others: 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, 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 (the "SEC"), including the company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 8, 2016, 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.

©2017 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. SanDisk, SanDisk Ultra, and SanDisk Memory Zone are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. The SD, microSD, and microSDXC marks and logos are trademarks of SD-3C, LLC. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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