HAMR nearline drives
Qualification under way with two hyperscale customers; production ramp planned for 2027.
What it is
Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) heats a small spot on the disk with a laser so that data can be packed more densely. It is the company's main route to drives above 40TB, and it targets 100TB drives by 2029.
Why it matters to the stock. HAMR is the next big capacity step after UltraSMR. Its ramp timing sets when the company can keep cutting cost per terabyte against rivals.
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