SK Hynix has announced its first portable SSD, the Beetle X31. The drive promises sequential transfer speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s when working with a suitable host. This drive is super compact and can store up to 1 TB of data. This is considerably larger than a typical USB flash drive.
SK Hynix Beetle X31 uses the company’s 128-layer 3D NAND memory, boasting sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s respectively. SK Hynix, on the other hand, has not disclosed the size of the SLC cache, but the company promises that the drive will be able to sustain speeds of “over 900MB/s.”
From a performance standpoint, this drive is slower than high-end direct-attached storage devices with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 interfaces. Still, it is reasonable to assume that the cost is significantly lower than such DAS devices.
The manufacturer plans to offer the Beetle X31 in 512 GB and 1 TB versions, which is a large capacity compared to common cheap USB drives.
SK Hynix claims the Beetle X31 is compatible with PCs, Macs, tablets, game consoles and Android-based smartphones. The X31 drive features a USB Type-C interface and comes standard with two USB cables (USB C-to-C and C-to-A) and a bumper case.
The Beetle X31 measures 74 x 46 x 14.8 mm (slightly larger than a USB flash drive) and weighs 53 grams. The drive uses a sleek aluminum chassis.
“From the beginning, the X31 was designed to be incredibly light and ultra-small,” said Chandon Park, head of NAND marketing at SK Hynix. “Also, it shares the main material of construction with the Gold P31, which is optimized for power consumption. Therefore, the X31 inherits the design of the P31 and adds a unique concept for portable SSDs. Strengthening the exterior elements A lot of effort has been put into it.” Consider things such as the color and smooth texture of the product to improve the user experience. “
The Beetle X31 has already been launched in South Korea and will soon be available in North America, Europe and Asia.
