Biwin's "Mini SSD" Could Change How We Store Stuff
A new storage kind from Chinese maker Biwin is ready to shake up what we think of removable storage. Named the "Mini SSD," this small drive aims to match the speed of NVMe SSDs, and it's easy to swap out. This could really change how we save files on high-speed, easy-to-carry devices.
Main Points of the Mini SSD
The Mini SSD links the easy move of MicroSD cards with the fast pace of inside M.2 drives. It is made with these main ideas:
- Small Size: At just 15 x 17 x 1.4 mm, it's almost as tiny as a normal MicroSD card.
- Big Speed: Biwin says it has read speeds up to 3,700 MB/s and write speeds up to 3,400 MB/s using a PCIe 4.0 x2 link.
- Easy Swap: It fits in like a SIM card, making it simple to switch without any tools.
- Strong Build: The drives can face dust and water, and can take drops from 3 meters high.
It will come in 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB sizes.
Big Change for Easy-to-Carry Devices
The speed of the Mini SSD beats other cards by a lot. It is over three times quicker than MicroSD Express. Though slower than the biggest M.2 drives, its plus is that you can swap it from the outside. This could be big for a few areas:
- Gaming On-the-Go: With games getting bigger, a 1TB or 2TB Mini SSD could hold a whole game set that you can swap between devices, like a super fast game card.
- Making Content: New cameras and drones could use this to move big video files fast, more than what tiny SD and CFexpress cards can do now.
- Tiny PCs: Mini-PCs and tablets could have quick, large storage without losing space needed for other parts.
Early Users and Next Steps
The Mini SSD is not just an idea. Two big gaming devices, the GPD Win 5 and the OneNetbook OneXPlayer Super X, plan to use it. This early use by big names shows strong trust.
Still, it's not sure if it will turn into a common standard or stay a Biwin thing only. Many storage kinds have failed because they didn't get enough support. For the Mini SSD to take over MicroSD's spot in high-speed use, more makers will need to use it.
We don't know the price or when it will be sold everywhere, but with its mix of speed, size, and ease, the Mini SSD stands out as one of today's most interesting new things in storage tech.
