SanDisk Launches Extreme Pro microSDHC UHS-I Cards With 90MB/s Write Speeds
SanDisk is launching two new microSD memory cards today, officially called the SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDHC UHS-I cards. What makes them special? They allow you to capture photos and videos at up to 90 megabytes per second, which is incredibly fast for any application. As for read speeds, they’re slightly faster at 95 MB/s. That’s nowhere near maxing out a USB 3.0 connection (625 MB/s), but still an impressive figure for microSD media.
The 8GB version will retail for $60, while the 16GB model is priced at $100. Both will be available in stores soon, and for those who can’t wait, they can be purchased directly from SanDisk’s website today.
With write speeds reaching 90MB/s and read speeds at 95MB/s, the SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDHC UHS-I cards set a new benchmark for performance in small-form storage.
What “UHS-I” Actually Means
UHS-I is the first generation of the Ultra High Speed bus used by SD and microSD media. On paper it supports bus speeds up to 104 MB/s (SDR104). That’s the ceiling for the interface itself; real-world read/write numbers depend on the card’s controller, NAND quality, and the host device’s slot. In practice, a 90 MB/s write / 95 MB/s read Extreme Pro microSDHC UHS-I card sits near the top of what UHS-I can deliver, which is why these cards feel snappy for continuous photo bursts and high-bitrate 1080p/4K recording—provided your camera or phone can keep up.
Speed logos matter: “UHS-I” (the Roman numeral “I”) is the bus type; “U1” or “U3” indicate minimum sustained write speeds (10 MB/s or 30 MB/s, respectively); and “V30/V60/V90” video classes target continuous capture needs. When in doubt, match the card’s bus and speed class to the device manufacturer’s recommendations rather than chasing the highest spec on the shelf.
Where These Cards Shine
Cards at this performance tier are a strong fit for mirrorless cameras shooting 1080p/4K, action cams, drones, and gaming handhelds that benefit from fast level loads. They’re also practical for Android devices that support adoptable storage—fast random performance keeps apps feeling responsive. If your workflow includes frequent file offloads, pair the card with a UHS-I reader on a USB 3.x port to avoid a host-side bottleneck.
About SanDisk (and Today’s Ownership)
SanDisk has been one of the foundational brands in flash storage since the late 1980s, building everything from memory cards to SSDs and professional media. In 2016, SanDisk became part of Western Digital, which combined its HDD expertise with SanDisk’s flash technology. The brand you see on retail shelves is SanDisk; the public company behind it is Western Digital.
Stock Snapshot (for context)
As of September 22, 2025, Western Digital’s ticker is NASDAQ: WDC. The latest quoted price during today’s session is $112.41. Prices move throughout the day, so treat this as a point-in-time snapshot rather than investment advice.
Take things into your own hands with the latest release from the fellows over at Nook 2 Android. It’s a lesser known fact among its general user base that the devices run Android at their core. Even less apparent to the B&N crowd is that you can make those tablets boot and run a stock Android experience.
Previously limited to the Android 2.3 Gingerbread experience, Nook 2 Android (N2A) microSD cards now allow the aforementioned devices to boot directly to the same Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience that comes with phones and tablets. Specifically, this is a Cyanogenmod port of Android, or the preferred stock UI and features that many modders prefer to employ. In a nutshell, these cards turn the e-readers/tablets into Android tablets, complete with widgets and access to Google Play.
If you own one of these two devices and wish to get in on the standard Android love, there are a number of options at your disposal. On one hand you can buy a microSD card already loaded with the bootable OS, with capacities ranging from 8GB ($29.99) up to 64GB ($69.99). On the other hand, you can opt for the $19.99 method which lets you download and install the image on your existing microSD cards. Note that not all cards and capacities may be supported. Whichever route you go, the process of booting to Android 4.1 is not far off!
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Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it has slashed production of NAND flash memory for use in USB drives and memory cards by about 30 percent at its plant in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. It’s the first output cut for the device in about three years.
The electronics maker aims to work off inventory and see a recovery in the market amid falling prices for the memory devices due to oversupply.
Toshiba last reduced production of NAND flash memories after the 2009 financial crisis touched off a global economic downturn.
Etron indicated its EV268-series dual-core USB 3.0 flash drive controllers have been adopted by memory module vendors for their new products, which hit market shelves in March. The chip provides data transfer rates of more than 230MB/s and includes ECC checking, and supports SLC/MLC/TLC NAND flash memories built using 3Xnm and 2Xnm technologies.
The size of the global flash drive market is 80-100 million units a year, and the penetration rate for those with USB 3.0 will reach about 20% in the fourth quarter of 2012, Etron pointed out.
If the price gap between USB 2.0 drives and USB 3.0 ones is narrowed to less than US$2, consumers will be pretty much encouraged to purchase products with the faster, new interface, Etron said.
Etron specializes in specialty DRAM memory, and has been expanding its product mix. The firm previously introduced its USB 3.0 host controllers.
Toshiba announced this morning of mass production in 128Gbit NAND flash memory with three-bits-per-cell storage in 19nm process.
What this means is more storage space in a smaller area. The 128Gbit memory is only 170mm square.
The reduced size implies cost of manufacturing will go down, efficiency will go up. The down side is the TLC or three bit per cell, is less stable then two bits per cell like MLC or multi layer cell technology.
This isn’t a big concern for most users as the TLC flash will go into less important devices like 
Sounds like SanDisk will be cutting it’s pricing for NAND memory very soon. SanDisk leads global market share for flash memory at a tune of about 40%. Kingston is another major player, and a couple weeks ago announced a major price reduction in it’s retail supply chain.
Seems the SanDisk news is their answer to the situation.
SanDisk mainly partners with chipmaker Toshiba while Kingston secures its supplies from more diversified sources.
One reasion might be that major NAND flash vendors are gearing up for mass production built using their newer node processes in mid 2012. Samsung Electronics and Toshiba are set to advance to 21nm and 19nm, respectively, and so are Hynix Semiconductor and Micron Technology to their respective 20nm processes.
Micron is a world leader in flash memory technology, and a top brand we favor here. Micron makes memory for various devices like computers, cell phones, cameras, cars and industrial application products.
This is a simple MicroSD adapter card. It allows you to interface with any micro-controllers. It is perfect for mass storage, WAV/MP3 player and data logging. The adapter breaks out the MicroSD socket to a standard 0.1″ 8-pin header. It can be plug directly into breadboards. This adapter features innovations that set it apart from other SD card adapter. Innovations feature like on-board card detect LED, Push-Push socket, and 3.3V regulator. Which mean either 3.3V or 5.0V micro-controller can be connected directly with the board. You can even use this 3.3V to power external circuits up to 250mA.
MicroSD cards offer an inexpensive, flexible and reliable way to bring data logging and data storage solutions to your electronic design projects.
Flash memory is a basic necessity of any electronic device these days. Today we will talk about MultiMedia Cards [MMC] and Secure Digital [SD] cards.
First, a bit of history. The MMC format was developed by SanDisk and Siemens back in 1997. SD media was developed, jointly, by SanDisk, Panasonic and Toshiba. The SD standard was developed to improve upon the MMC format.
The two memory card types look the same. They are both about 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm in size, or about the size of a US postage stamp. The one obvious, physical difference between the two is the Lock/Unlock switch on the left side of SD media. MMC does not have a sliding switch. The switch is meant for users to put the media into a