SanDisk (News - Alert), a provider of flash memory products, has announced that it is bringing to market its 16GB microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro (M2) mobile memory cards.

 

With these fingernail-sized 16GB memory cards, consumers can access many storage-intensive features offered by portable handsets. These features include music and video playback, high-definition (HD) digital camera functions, gaming and GPS applications. 

 

In addition to the mobile phone, consumers can also use the 16GB microSDHC card in devices such as video cameras, GPS receivers or MP3 players with a microSD slots such as SanDisk’s Sansa players.

 

“Handsets have become far more than just phones - they’ve become mobile jukeboxes, mobile offices, even mobile movie theaters,” said Avi Greengart, research director for mobile devices at Current Analysis (News - Alert).

 

He also said that flash memory cards have increased in storage capacity, but even an 8GB card may be too small for anyone with GPS map data, a few movies, a game or two, a presentation file and other applications.

 

Greengart believes that there is an acute need for more mobile storage capacity.

 

“16GB gives consumers the ability to carry their digital content with them and still have room to do more with their mobile phones,” stated Greengart.

 

The retail outlets in the United States that carry the 16GB capacity are Best Buy Mobile and Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless. While it will be available at Best Buy Mobile stores in October, it’s expected to be available in November at Verizon Wireless stores.

 

MicroSD cards are designed for slot-equipped legacy mobile phones and can hold a maximum capacity of 2GB. The microSDHC cards are available in 4GB, 8GB. The new 16GB capacity is ideal for newer mobile phone models, most of which are compatible with these higher capacity cards.

 

The Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards are designed for Sony Ericsson’s (News - Alert) new generation of mobile phones, all of which are compatible with the 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacity levels.

 

Silicon Valley-based SanDisk's product portfolio includes flash memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders; Sansa digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state drives for computers.

 

Last week, the company announced that it has started shipping an upgraded family of SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash (CF) memory cards to meet the needs of professional digital photographers.