40TB ePMR nearline drive (UltraSMR)
In qualification with two hyperscale customers; volume production was planned for the second half of 2026.
What it is
Next-generation nearline drive that combines ePMR recording with UltraSMR shingled tracks to reach 40TB, the company's highest-capacity drive. It sits between today's drives and the HAMR generation.
Why it matters to the stock. Each extra terabyte per drive lowers cost per terabyte for cloud buyers, and it lifts the exabytes the company can ship from the same factories.
News
WD unveils High Bandwidth Drive, Dual Pivot actuator and power-optimized HDD roadmap
The same February 3 event added three next-generation drive designs to the roadmap.
Product