Biwin unveils a Mini SSD, using a new “1517” format measuring 15 × 17 × 1.4 mm, designed for portable devices such as laptops and portable PC consoles. The first impressive figure is the data transfer rate, claimed to be up to 3,700 MB/s for reading and 3,400 MB/s for writing. Then there are the capacities offered: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, putting Biwin head and shoulders above M.2 2230 SSDs, while remaining considerably more compact. https://youtu.be/EHUSELJ_Ctw?si=7_-daDyY2a71gK9K
Biwin mini SSDs: revolution or damp squib?
In practice, these SSDs are installed in the same way as MicroSD and SIM cards. These Mini SSDs are therefore easily interchangeable. They are inserted in the same way as a SIM card, using an ejector drawer to facilitate “hot swapping”. But with this format, it seems that Biwin is targeting not only laptops and consoles, but also tablets and cameras. At this stage, price and market date are undisclosed, while adoption will depend on wider standardization. Some presentations even mention IP68 resistance and drop protection, interesting features for embedded applications.
Objectively, this Mini SSD principle looks like a minor revolution: performance close to that of a consumer NVMe, but still in a format close to that of a microSD. For nomadic use (handhelds, lightweight hybrids, cameras), the idea is truly brilliant. What’s more, the drawer’s ergonomics make life easier for users.
Nonetheless, the absence of a standard and the lack of clarity on pricing make us cautious. While the format is similar to micro SD, it’s not at all a question of using this port to operate the mini SSD. Both the physical format and the internal interfacing need to be adopted by manufacturers. The key to making this technology accessible is for it to be massively adopted by the rest of the industry. For the moment, Biwin is the only company to have presented a Mini SSD storage device. Whether this format will become an industry standard or a proprietary solution remains to be seen.
