SanDisk unveils 1TB SDXC card prototype

Solid-state storage specialist SanDisk has announced the creation of the world's first 1TB SD card, in prototype form at least, sixteen years after the company built its first 64MB model.

SanDisk, acquired by storage giant Western Digital in May this year, surprised the crowds at the Photokina event this week with the unveiling of the world's first 1TB SDXC memory card. Fully compatible with all existing devices boasting SDXC slots, the card is being positioned by the company as perfect for those shooting in data-heavy new media such as 8K-resolution video and 360-degree immersive video for virtual reality applications.

'Showcasing the most advanced imaging technologies is truly exciting for us,' crowed Dinesh Bahal, vice president of Western Digital's content solutions business unit, which includes the freshly-acquired SanDisk. 'Sixteen years ago we introduced the first SanDisk 64MB SD card and today we are enabling capacities of 1TB. Over the years our goal has remained the same: continue to innovate and set the pace for the imaging industry. The SanDisk 1TB SD card prototype represents another significant achievement as growth of high-resolution content and capacity-intensive applications such as virtual reality, video surveillance and 360 video, are progressing at astounding rates.'

If you're reading carefully, you'll have spotted the key part of Bahal's statement: 'prototype.' The 1TB card on display at Photokina, while fully functional, is not retail-ready. At the present time, SanDisk has not announced when it plans to take the 1TB card to mass production, nor has it confirmed official performance specifications. Pricing, too, is very much off the table - though given its capacity and targeting of the professional media creation market, if you have to ask it's likely you couldn't afford it.