I tried interviewing SanDisk about the secret of the durability of a memory card that is okay even if stepped on

By supporting the new high-speed transfer interface "UHS-I" the other day, SDHC memory card which realized ultrahigh-speed transfer of up to 45 MB per second which exceeds the conventional SDHC memory card "SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I CardSanDisk announced, but I tried to ask a variety of secrets of the strength of the company's memory card that can withstand the harsh conditions, the future of memory cards, "microSD cards optimized for smartphones" etc. It was.

For details such as movies in which children actually step on the SanDisk memory card actually, please see below.
This time I visited SanDisk's new headquarters moved to Shinagawa.


Susan Park (Susan Park), marketing director of SanDisk Corporation Retail Imaging Products, responded to the interview.


It was an interview with simultaneous interpretation (right back).


GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
The other day "SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I CardI think that is a card with a lot of advantages, what is the biggest "merit that is not in other companies" among them?

SanDisk Corporation Retail Imaging Products Marketing Director Susan Park (Susan):
I think that it is the existence of "power core controller" again after all. This enables various technologies adopted in SanDisk memory cards, not only performance but also the credibility of the card will be enhanced. Furthermore, since the data management system works well, you can optimize the performance of the entire card.

The body of "SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I Card". By supporting the transfer interface "UHS-I" that realizes higher-speed communication, it achieves a maximum transfer rate of 45 MB per second.


The "Power Core Controller" adopted for the same memory card enables simultaneous access to 4 layers of memory, so that it can process a large amount of data simultaneously.


G:
There is also the entry model entry, there is a feeling that digital single-lens cameras are beginning to spread, is the sales of high-end memory cards also growing?

Susan:
You're right. Due to the popularization of entry-level DSLRs, the sales of high-performance memory cards that we offer are also rising.

G:
Sony, in collaboration with NikonWe have developed a new memory card specification that realizes a transfer rate of 500 MB per second and a capacity of 2 TB or moreHowever, when is it actually commercialized?

Susan:
It is still a compact flash standardization group "Compact Flash Association (CFA)It is the stage where we proposed the specifications to the committee of the committee. Since we are considering the specifications proposed by the committee, we plan to actually commercialize it after the review is over.

G:
In other words, if standards are standardized, is there a way to commercialize a memory card that actually adopted the same specification?

Susan:
We will release if we think that it is meaningful on the lineup we are deploying, but we are currently evaluating it, so we have not made decisions about commercialization yet. Regarding this format, we are evaluating Sony and Nikon as partners.

G:
How far can memory cards speed up in the future?

Susan:
I think there is no limit (lol)

...... Although it is a joke, if it says with the current SD memory card, it is said that "UHS-1" can make a maximum of 100 MB per second and "UHS-2" can communicate up to 300 MB per second, I think that it depends on standards.


Susan:
I think about how far the theoretical speed can be set according to the standards, but in that case as well, it is a combination of host (equipment) and card, so there are various factors such as technology and memory specifications, but at this stage It depends on the limits of the standard.

G:
Most examples are microSD memory cards that are used as recording media for Android smartphones, but are you thinking about release of "specialized memory cards that can be used comfortably with smartphones"?

Susan:
Currently microSD memory cards are mainly used for mobile phone users, and I think that speed will become increasingly important in the future. Since we have lineup of various performance SD cards, we can also deliver high performance products with microSD memory cards.

Now I can not comment on the future, but if I want to put out products I would like to launch a big event.

G:
Are there any plans to release "SDXC memory card" of 128 GB or more?

Susan:
Of course we also want to produce high capacity products, so I think we will release it when technical and market problems are resolved. I have not decided the plan to put out the product right now, but I am preparing it all the time.

G:
SanDisk is "It's okay if I step on a 5 ton truck"We are appealing durability with a catch phrase such as, but what kind of evaluation is gained from people shooting in harsh environments?

Susan:
I can actually use it even in the hot desert, cold climate, storms, so I think that the strength and waterproofness of SanDisk memory cards will be useful even in environments where professional photographers are working, There is no fact that it broke down due to the problem.

There was an article recently in Europe, but if the photographer kept the camera in the trunk, that car had burned. That's why the camera burned, but when I took out the memory card, I was able to retrieve the data inside.


Susan:
Besides that, for example, there was a voice of the user saying "Data was safe even when washing in the washing machine with the card in it", and there was a voice of the user in the hot coffee for testing in our laboratory I also tried putting it.

SanDisk is doing a variety of events in Asian countries such as China, but having done demonstrations such as "to put a card in ice to make a cocktail" in front of the local media There is also. Actually my 9-year-old son and his friends have a movie trampling cards, so I will show you.

This is the movie. It is a ridiculous content that children trace memory cards because they wanted it.

YouTube - Sandisk's SD memory card that is safe to steal from children


G:
It's an amazing sight (laugh)

Susan:
It is okay to step on a SanDisk memory card like this because packaging technology is good. The inside of the SD memory card is molded.

G:
By the way, what kind of durability experiment is actually done?

Susan:
I can not show you detailed experiments because it is a trade secret, but I am doing it for 72 hours in saltwater, as I mentioned earlier, we are also experimenting putting cards in hot coffee, dropping cards from a height of 5 meters , I am also experimenting with 5 ton trucks.

Mr. Kazuhiko Oki (Director of Marketing Department, SanDisk Corporation) (Oki):
Structurally, it adopts "system in package" system which modularizes all of plastics, so it is strong against water etc. thanks to that. "Well, if another company does the same thing, it will be able to realize high durability", but system in package will cost more than the traditional way to devote to the foundation.

Because we are making the most memory cards in the world, we have succeeded in lowering the manufacturing cost while adopting system-in-package due to its merit of scale, as well as the aspect of SanDisk's I think that it is one of the strengths.

The back of "SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I Card" announced the other day. Actually, the memory is completed only on the part above the part where the logo "SanDisk" was written, and the bottom is just plastics. And since it is only the connector part that touches the water, it seems to realize high durability.


G:
Is not it not only the memory card, but also the fact that it is comprehensively engaged in products such as SSDs and flash memories for embedded products also leads to scale merit?

large tree:
I agree. Also, as with other flash memory makers, not only are they offering flash memory by OEM but also the part that sells memory card directly to users is one of the strengths. Because it can directly receive feedback from the user by connecting directly with the market, it is possible to know exactly the temperature of the user more than other companies ... it is big.

G:
Even GIGAZINE actually used it and reviewed itSanDisk's "Lifetime Warranty"Is a very good service, is there really a lot of people using guarantees?

Susan:
I do not know the detailed data, so I do not know, but sometimes people use it. There is not much in any way. And for those who are seeking guarantee cards are handed over.

G:
Although it took quite a lot of trouble to actually use the permanent guarantee, please tell us whether there are plans to make this easier.

large tree:
Procedures for guarantee application differ from country to country, but basically both warranty card and purchase history are required for Japan.

Because you have to be fair to customers who bought genuine products in Japan and customers who are not so, there may be parts that are inconvenienced by that means by all means. However, I am trying to make the service available as smoothly as possible even though it is not.

G:
Thank you very much.

In the second part we will deliver a spot-focused interview about the decline in unit price of flash memory.

[Continue]

SanDisk that leads the world with flash memory card