64GB SanDisk Connect Wireless External Flash Key ($100)

SanDisk Corporation announced its 64GB Connect Wireless Flash Drive at 2014 CES show.

The drive extends SanDisk’s line of wireless flash memory storage products, offering users more wireless memory expansion for their mobile devices. In addition, recently released software updates enhance the performance and functionality of both the Connect Wireless Flash Drive and Wireless Media Drive.

The Connect line of products is designed to alleviate storage capacity limitations that consumers experience with their mobile devices. Data from the SanDisk Memory Zone memory management app for Android devices, which recently surpassed 1.5 million downloads, indicates 44% of users have less than half of their mobile device’s internal storage capacity free, and nearly one quarter of users are at more than 80% utilization (SanDisk Memory Zone cumulative app user data collected on December 4, 2013.) The data also shows that when memory utilization reaches 80 to 90%, users proactively make space available by deleting or removing content.

“We are addressing a common problem of consumers running out of memory on mobile devices, and are extending our Connect product line with a 64GB Wireless Flash Drive for access to even more videos, photos, music, and documents on-the-go,” said Dinesh Bahal, VP product marketing, SanDisk. “With the SanDisk Connect products, consumers can expand the memory on their phones and tablets, stream movies, and share photos and documents with colleagues, friends and family with ease and style.”

The Connect product line enables consumers to wirelessly stream (some DRM protected content cannot be streamed, check with the content provider for playback restrictions) and store content on-the-go without Internet access.

In addition to the release of the 64GB Connect Wireless Flash Drive, SanDisk has been updating the software to improve performance and accessibility of the drive while keeping a cellular data connection. These updates to the Wireless Flash Drive software are available for the 64GB drive, and will be available for the other capacities in the coming weeks.,Cellular data co-existence is only available on iOS version 7.

For the Wireless Media Drive, updates also include a web app that enables wireless access from PCs and Mac computers, as well as Windows 8 based tablets, and the ability to play back movies purchased on iTunes.

The 64GB SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive is available at an MSRP of $99.99 in the U.S. on Sandisk’s web site, Amazon.com and B&H. It will also be available in select countries in Europe in the coming weeks.