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128 GB Tablets to Hit Market

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Apple announced that it was providing a Retina Display iPad with flash memory storage capacities up to 128 GB of storage capacity.  The WiFi version of this device is to sell for $799.  Apple says that it has sold 120 M iPads overall and that there are over 300,000 native iOS applications available in the Apple Apps store.

Back in early 2012 this blog predicted that with 19-20 nm lithography flash memory the same number of flash chips that provided 64 GB of storage capacity could give 128 GB of capacity.  The Apple announcement shows that this transition is now happening.  The same advances allow 64 GB tablets to be built with half the chips as prior generation products and likewise fewer chips for lower capacity products.

The result is that the BOM costs for storage in tablets and other mobile devices will be less for the next generation of tablets (at least during times that chip supply can meet demand).  This will either increase the profit for these products or allow lower prices to increase user adoption, or some combination of these choices by Apple (and presumably other tablet and smart phone manufacturers).

So who needs a large capacity tablet computer and what other options exist to increase available capacity on a smart mobile device?  There are at least two reasons why someone might need/want more capacity.  First, connectivity, even with LTE networks may not be universal or fast, it all depends on where you are.  Thus if you need access to content or files in the cloud you may or may not have access when you need it.

Second, you may not want to watch a movie streaming through a wireless network—especially if you are paying bit transfer costs.  Or you may be on a plane and either you watch what is showing on the plane or what you carry with you.  It doesn’t take too many movies to fill even a 64 GB tablet computer.  A larger storage capacity gives a larger content library that you can take with you for vacations or long trips or any other reason.

Larger storage capacity for a mobile device can rely on capacity in the cloud from a remote data center or on-board storage, such as in a 128 GB tablet.  Another approach is to have some local storage, probably WiFi connected storage that can be accessed from the mobile device.  At the CES conference in early January 2013 Seagate and Kingston demonstrated their WiFi, battery powered portable storage devices (personal cloud devices).

Seagate’s Wireless Plus storage device offers up to 1 TB of HDD storage capacity with 10 hour of active use battery life with WiFi connectivity for smart phones or tablet in a portable device that fits in your pocket.  Kingston offered a new version of their Wi-Drive with up to 128 GB flash memory capacity and expansion capacity using an SD card.  These storage device allow access to portable data using WiFi.

Storage in the cloud is a great thing and is a key element enabling many applications including on-line backup and collaborative work as well as social networking.  However connection speeds may not always be enough, we may not have connectivity that we need or don’t want to spend the money to get everything we need through a cell phone network.  For these users larger local storage, either in a smart mobile device or located in a personal network may be very attractive.  Digital storage still remains our means of accessing much that is useful, interesting and entertaining, whether local or remote.