14 DAY TRIAL // Solid state drives have been getting better about capacity lately, but most of them still fall short of the 1 TB mark. There has been a certain increase in 960 GB drive availability, but full, 1 TB units are still underrepresented, and Angelbird just did its part to change that.
Angelbird is a company based in Austria which also happens to be one of the biggest and best SSD makers in that particular country.
The two storage devices it just released will do well in earning it some bragging rights. Sure, solid state drives have already been pegged as capable of attaining 10 TB, but that will take years.
For now, 1 TB is all you can hope for from the 2.5-inch form factor. Truth be told, it's quite a lot considering that not long ago 512 GB was considered a high capacity.
Angelbird's 1 TB SSD wrk and SSD wrk for Mac
One could say that Angelbird only launched one solid state drive, but making a storage device compatible with Mac systems involves more than changing the mere name. The format is different, for example. Still, the specifications are overall the same beyond that.
Custom-packed multi-level-cell NANDs provide the storage space, while data processing falls to the SMI 2246EN controller.
The sequential read and write speeds can go all the way up to 564 MB/s (superior to most out there) and 456 MB/s (a bit slower than other high-end drives, but not by much).
On that note, the random 4K performance is of 72.000 Input/Output Operations per Second, or IOPS for short.
All the while, the Angelbird SSD wrk drives stick to a thickness of only 7 mm, hence their suitability for laptops. You can, of course, install them in desktop PCs just fine as well.
SATA 3.1 means improved TRIM support by the way, allowing the drives to last longer without performance degeneration.
Finally, closing the circle of physical endurance, over-voltage and ESD protection are included, as is overload protection and EMS (electromagnetic shielding).
Availability and pricing
The Angelbird SSD wrk and SSD wrk for Mac in 1 TB capacities have prices of $599.99 / €483, not including VAT. Both get a 5-year warranty.
"We are happy to announce the extension of the successful SSD wrk-series with the two new 1 terabyte versions. This series now covers the entire consumer SSD spectrum, offering perfectly adapted models for every requirement," said Roman Rabitsch, CEO of Angelbird.
