Experience Unrivaled Storage: G-Drive Reimagined for the Modern Creator.
Western Digital's Strategic Reorientation: Revitalizing the G-Drive Legacy
With SanDisk now operating as a distinct entity, focusing on its solid-state drive (SSD) offerings, Western Digital is strategically repositioning itself within the storage market. The company is making a substantial investment in the G-Drive brand, which, despite its established presence, had seen reduced emphasis in recent years. This revitalization signifies WD's commitment to the hard disk drive segment and its dedication to serving the evolving needs of content creators.
A Fresh Identity for Creators: Consolidating HDD Products Under G-Drive
The G-Drive product family, historically encompassing RAID arrays and portable HDD solutions like the Armor ATD series under the G-Technology umbrella, is now the central hub for WD's creator-focused storage. This consolidation streamlines branding and ensures that creative professionals have a clear, unified source for high-performance and high-capacity storage, backed by Western Digital's industry-leading expertise.
Leadership's Vision for G-Drive: A Testament to Reliability and Innovation
Darrin Bulik, Director of Product Management at WD, emphasizes that G-Drive has become synonymous with dependable, high-capacity, and high-performance storage solutions for a diverse range of creators, from hobbyists to seasoned professionals. He highlights that by unifying their content creation storage portfolio under this trusted brand, WD is not only honoring its enduring legacy but also leveraging its cutting-edge storage innovations to equip creators with the essential tools needed to bring their creative visions to fruition. This commitment translates into an expanded selection of products, all underpinned by the superior quality and unwavering reliability that creators depend on.
Introducing the Next Generation: Five New and Enhanced G-Drive Offerings
The relaunch of the G-Drive product line is marked by the introduction of five distinct new or significantly updated products. These offerings cater to various storage needs and professional workflows, demonstrating WD's comprehensive approach to the creator market.
G-Drive ArmorATD: Robust Portability for On-the-Go Professionals
Leading the new lineup is the G-Drive ArmorATD, presented as the brand's premier portable drive. Available with capacities reaching up to 6TB, this drive boasts triple-layer shock resistance and IP54-rated dust and water protection, encased in a durable aluminum shell. Pricing for the 6TB model is set at $240, with more affordable options available for lower capacities.
The Classic G-Drive: High-Capacity Desktop Storage for Demanding Workflows
The standard G-Drive, akin to a self-titled album, stands out as a high-capacity desktop drive. It incorporates an enterprise-class Ultrastar HDD, offering up to an impressive 26TB of storage. This unit is engineered to provide rapid transfer speeds and sustained performance, making it ideal for intensive tasks such as video editing, managing extensive photo libraries, data backup, and long-term content archiving. The 26TB version is priced at $750, while the entry-level 6TB option costs $275.
G-Drive Project: Single-Bay Thunderbolt 3 Solution for Peak Performance
The G-Drive Project offers a single-bay Thunderbolt 3 desktop solution, combining high capacity with exceptional performance. Utilizing an enterprise-class Ultrastar HDD, it provides up to 26TB of storage. This model is available for $1,000 for the 26TB variant, with a 6TB option starting at $425. Complementing this, the G-Drive Project 2 is introduced as a compact two-bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID system. It comes pre-configured in RAID 0, featuring field-swappable Ultrastar drives that offer up to 52TB of storage. The Project 2 starts at $935 for 16TB, with the 48TB option priced at $1,655, though pricing for the 52TB model was not specified at the time of publication.
G-RAID Shuttle Series: Scalable and Transportable Arrays for Professional Productions
The Shuttle brand also makes a significant return with the G-RAID Shuttle 4 and Shuttle 8. These transportable storage arrays, featuring 4-bay and 8-bay configurations respectively, are equipped with hot-swappable Ultrastar drives, pushing maximum capacity to an astounding 208TB. They are shipped with a default RAID 5 setup and are designed for high-speed connectivity, crucial for on-set data management and multi-camera productions. The Shuttle 4 begins at $2,670 for 24TB, extending to $5,000 for 104TB. The larger Shuttle 8 starts at $4,335 for 48TB, reaching up to $9,225 for 208TB.
A Clear Path Forward: G-Drive as the Future of WD's HDD Portfolio
While Western Digital remains committed to providing full support and warranty coverage for existing SanDisk Professional HDD-based products, the company's clear focus for future innovation and development in the HDD sector is firmly on the G-Drive brand. This strategic shift underscores WD's long-term vision for its hard drive offerings.