Lexar's Muse is an ultra-slim portable SSD that's less than 4mm thick
Lexar is launching the Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD, one of the thinnest on the market at just 3.8mm thick in the middle and 1mm at the edges The drive sacrifices a standard USB-C port in favor of a proprietary magnetic SnapLink cable with pogo-pin connectors High-density NAND stacking and a custom ultra-thin PCB architecture enable the slim form factor while maintaining solid performance Read speeds reach up to 1,050MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000MB/s, sufficient for 4K Apple ProRes video at
Analysis
TL;DR
- Lexar is launching the Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD, one of the thinnest on the market at just 3.8mm thick in the middle and 1mm at the edges
- The drive sacrifices a standard USB-C port in favor of a proprietary magnetic SnapLink cable with pogo-pin connectors
- High-density NAND stacking and a custom ultra-thin PCB architecture enable the slim form factor while maintaining solid performance
- Read speeds reach up to 1,050MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000MB/s, sufficient for 4K Apple ProRes video at 120fps on compatible iPhones
- The proprietary connection introduces risks of accidental disconnection and requires an additional magnetic sleeve for phone mounting, which adds thickness
Why It Matters
This trend of eliminating standard USB-C ports in favor of proprietary connections reflects a growing industry pattern seen with companies like Xteink, raising concerns about user convenience and long-term compatibility. For AI practitioners and hardware enthusiasts, it highlights the ongoing tension between form factor innovation and practical usability in portable storage solutions.
Technical Details
- Form Factor: Ultra-slim design at 3.8mm (middle) tapering to 1mm (edges), enabled by high-density NAND stacking and a custom ultra-thin PCB architecture
- Storage Capacities: Available in 512GB and 1TB variants, launching later this year
- Performance Specs: Sequential read speeds up to 1,050MB/s; sequential write speeds up to 1,000MB/s
- Connection Method: Proprietary magnetic SnapLink cable with pogo-pin connector instead of a standard USB-C port
- Video Recording Capability: Supports 4K Apple ProRes video at up to 120fps when connected to a compatible iPhone, though requires an included magnetic sleeve for mounting
Industry Insight
- The move toward proprietary connectors in portable storage may streamline device thinness but risks alienating users who value universal compatibility and durability — a trade-off worth monitoring as more manufacturers follow suit
- For AI and creative professionals relying on fast portable storage for large media files, the 1,050MB/s read speed remains competitive but the magnetic connection introduces a potential reliability concern during sustained high-throughput operations like 4K video recording
- The trend signals a broader industry shift where hardware differentiation is increasingly driven by form factor innovation rather than raw performance gains, suggesting that future portable SSD competition will focus on slimness and ecosystem integration
Disclaimer: The above content is generated by AI and is for reference only.