Chinese storage manufacturer Biwin has announced a new storage format that combines the compact size of microSD cards with the performance of M.2 SSDs. This new type of card, called “Mini SSD,” measures just 15 mm x 17 mm x 1.4 mm, yet can reach read speeds of 3,700 MB per second and write speeds of 3,400 MB per second. Operating with a PCIe 4×2 connection and NVMe 1.4 protocol, the Mini SSD is available in 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities.
Biwin Launches Mini SSD Model
The new card promises four times the performance of existing MicroSD Express cards. For example, MicroSD Express cards, recently compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, offer a theoretical maximum speed of 985 MB/s, while the Mini SSD achieves nearly four times that speed. SD Express cards can theoretically outperform Mini SSDs at 3,940 MB/s, but they are twice as large physically.
Shiftdelete.netThe performance offered by Mini SSDs makes them a potential option not only for mobile devices but also for a wide range of products. Biwin is marketing the new format for laptops, tablets, smartphones, cameras, and similar devices.
The product features a special slot that can be removed with a pin, similar to the SIM card slots in smartphones. It also has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating and is resistant to drops from 3 meters.
The format introduced by Biwin is not currently an official, industry-wide standard. However, the company states that there are no technical obstacles preventing manufacturers from switching to this format if the product becomes widespread.
The Mini SSD has also begun to be used in the field. Two high-end portable gaming device manufacturers based in China were the first to adopt this new format. The GPD Win 5 with the Strix Halo processor and the OneNetbook’s hybrid laptop/tablet model, the OneXPlayer Super X, were unveiled at the ChinaJoy event held last week. Both devices feature a dedicated card slot for Mini SSDs.
Mini SSDs, with their impressive size-to-performance ratio, have the potential to become a new standard in portable devices that saves space without sacrificing speed. Currently developed by Biwin, whether the format will be adopted by mainstream hardware manufacturers remains to be seen.
