SanDisk launches world's first 512GB SD card


SanDisk has just released the world's largest capacity SD card, the 512GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I.


According to SanDisk, the launch of this 512GB model represents a 1,000-fold increase in capacity over the past ten years. The first SanDisk SD Card, launched in 2003, held just 512MB of storage capacity.


It seems this high-capacity SD card is coming along at just the right time too. High-end cameras are increasingly offering 4K (3840 x 2160p) video recording capabilities, which will eat up those gigabytes something chronic.


Meanwhile, pro photographers will always benefit from additional storage for their high-speed burst images and the sizeable RAW format.


With that much storage space, you'd hope that the 512GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I would offer fast access speeds - and it does. We're talking write speeds of up to 90 MB/s and UHS Speed Class 3 recording for those 4K and Full HD videos. Meanwhile, you get data transfer speeds of up to 95 MB/s for snappy post-production performance.


All of this comes at a price, though. The SanDisk 512GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I costs a whopping $799.99 - that's around £492.


SanDisk appears to be making a concerted effort to expand storage limits this year. Back in February, the company launched a 128GB microSD card, which was also the world's biggest of its kind.


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