The 8-Gbyte SD High Capacity, or SDHC, card is the highest-capacity card in the SD format, according to SanDisk. SD, or secure digital, is a flash memory card format developed by SanDisk, Matsushita, and Toshiba for use in portable devices, such as digital cameras and handheld computers.
SanDisk introduced the card at the CeBit trade show in Germany. The product is scheduled for release to retailers next month and is expected to cost $190. The card will come bundled with a SanDisk MicroMate USB 2.0 reader at no additional charge. The reader ensures that customers can connect the card to a USB port on their PCs.
SanDisk unveiled the new product eight months after releasing a 4-Gbyte version of its SDHC card. The rush to market of a higher-capacity card reflects both competitive pressure and the demand for more storage as consumers turn to digital cameras for shooting large amounts of video and still pictures.
The SD High Capacity designation applies to cards larger than 2 Gbytes that adhere to the latest SD 2.0 specification developed by the SD Association. Previous specifications had a capacity limit of 2 Gbytes. SDHC, however, supports capacities up to 32 Gbytes. The 8-Gbyte SanDisk card has a minimum data-transfer rate of 2 Mbytes a second.
Meanwhile, SanDisk also introduced at CeBit the Mobile Premier line of MicroSD memory cards aimed at the mobile-phone market. The fingernail-size cards enable consumers to transfer content to and from cellular phones, as well as increase storage for video, music, ring tones, and pictures. The technology includes SanDisk's TustedFlash copyright-protection technology, which gives wireless operators the option of selling content that can only be played on TrustedFlash-enabled devices.
Mobile Premier cards are scheduled to ship to retailers in the spring in 1- and 2-Gbyte capacities. Pricing is expected to be $53 and $82, respectively. The cards are scheduled to come with adapters for use in standard SD card slots.