Lexar has unveiled two new portable SSD (Solid-State Drives) as part of a strategic partnership with Silicon Motion. Revealed at CES 2024, the collaboration aims to boost the competitiveness of Lexar's portable solutions by combining its self-developed storage products with Silicon Motion's controller chips.
The first product to emerge from this partnership is the Lexar SL500 portable SSD.
With read and write speeds of up to 2000 MB/s and 1800 MB/s, respectively, the SL500 is powered by Silicon Motion's portable SSD controllers. It can be used with a variety of devices, including laptops, cameras, and mobile devices. Notably, it supports Apple Log video recording in 4K 60FPS ProRes format on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The second product is the Lexar ARMOR 700. This boasts storage capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, with read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s. The ARMOR 700, protected by a rugged rubber exterior and an IP66 rating against dust and water damage, is designed to be highly durable. It also offers a 3-meter drop resistance, ensuring the safety of files even in unexpected situations.
And there's more
Both new devices utilize Silicon Motion's portable SSD single-chip controller solution, which combines integrated hardware, software, and data security features. They are equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface and four NAND channels.
In addition, the company also announced the Professional SL600 Portable SSD (in 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities), and SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD (in 512GB and 1TB capacities). These are both already listed on Lexar’s site.
Despite the impressive features, it's a shame that none of Lexar's new devices come with USB4 or Thunderbolt 4. This could be a missed opportunity for Lexar in its bid to capture a bigger chunk of the professional portable SSD market.
No word on pricing or availability at the moment, but Lexar intends to launch these products in the first quarter of 2024.
