The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Flash-storage solutions provider SanDisk Corp. has unveiled its improved, next-generation mobile storage device designed to instantly free up space on iPhones and iPads, called the iXpand Flash Drive.
According to the company, this flash drive allows users to automatically back up their photos and contacts, and watch videos of various formats straight from it, and includes encryption software that protects files with a password.
The drive also features a flexible lightning connector and a new USB 3.0 connector, so that users can quickly and easily move photos and videos between their iPhone and iPad and Mac or personal computers (PCs).
At a press conference in Makati City on April 28, SanDisk Regional Director for Asia Pacific Peter Mah said the iXpand Flash Drive features a new, modern design that fits with most
iPhones and iPads.
“It’s as if the iXpand Flash Drive went on a diet— it has a slimmer profile [that] does not block other PC USB ports,” Mah said.
The iXpand Flash Drive currently offers a two-year limited warranty in the Philippines. It’s available in 16-gigabyte (P2,799), 32 GB (P3,799), 64 GB (P5,199), and 128 GB (P7,999) capacities.
It is compatible with iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Pro (12.9 inches), iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation) running on iOS 8.2 or later.
The drive comes with a redesigned app, called the iXpand Drive app, which offers new features and an improved user experience.
It also has a camera function, so users can shoot and save photos or videos directly to the drive, instead of on their iPhone or iPad.
Moreover, it also allows users to automatically back up content from popular social-network sites, as well as play music within the app.
The iXpand Drive app is available for download from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The app launches when the iXpand Flash Drive is plugged into an iPhone or iPad, allowing for immediate storage expansion, access to the user’s content, and easy file management.
Also launched with the iXpand Flash Drive was the SanDisk Ultra USB Type-C Flash Drive and the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II. The former features a USB Type-C connector for quick file transfers between USB Type-C enabled mobile devices and laptops, while the latter allows action-camera, drone and smartphone users to offload huge video files at unprecedented speeds.
The SanDisk Ultra USB Type-C Flash Drive comes in 16 GB (P699), 32 GB (P999), 64 GB (P1,699) and 128 GB (P3,099) capacities, while the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-II comes in 64 GB (P8,999) and 128 GB (P17,499) cards with a lifetime limited warranty. It will be available in the Philippines in the second quarter of the year.
Mah said SanDisk is further expanding in the Philippine market, especially with a country manager placed to help run the business.
“The Philippine market is a very important market, so we endeavor to increase our presence, now that we have our own country manager,” Mah said of new SanDisk Philippines Country Sales Manager Ron Flores, who has been working with the company for the last four months.
“We want to increase the availability of SanDisk products in all the outlets in the market here. We are working hard to bring product closer to the customer,” he added.
SanDisk has increased distribution coverage in the Philippines over the last 10 years. Its most recent development in the Philippine market is the availability of online sales.
“We have only scratched the surface. There is still a lot to do,” Flores said.
“It’s really understanding the market more and how SanDisk can be a value to Filipinos, considering [that] digital lifestyle here is everywhere. We need to get Filipinos ways to store their precious memories through storage,” he added. PNA