Seagate’s first 32TB HAMR hard drive is expected to arrive in 2023Q3
Prior reports have suggested Seagate’s ambitious plan for a significant capacity boost of their hard drives this year, with the launch of 22TB and 24TB models in the first half. Subsequently, the release of the industry’s first hard drive employing second-generation Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology is expected, along with the delivery of 30TB+ HAMR drive samples to cloud data center clientele.
According to Seeking Alpha, Seagate has disclosed a novel roadmap for HAMR hard drives, demonstrating the debut of a hard drive utilizing second-generation HAMR technology in the third quarter of 2023 with a capacity of 32TB. Furthermore, the coming year will see Seagate introducing models with 40TB and higher capacities. Additionally, Seagate is set to release a 24TB model based on Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) technology soon, potentially alongside a 28TB model using Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) technology.
It’s projected that products using PMR/SMR and HAMR technology will coexist for a period until Seagate’s more advanced HAMR technology matures. Notably, the 32TB HAMR hard drive will consist of ten disks and twenty read/write heads, a configuration remaining unchanged up to a 40TB capacity. Currently, Seagate is testing 50TB samples in the laboratory, achieving a per-disk capacity of 5TB.
Seagate has conveyed its ability to dramatically augment capacity without raising unit costs since these products share the same bill of materials, potentially leading to cost reductions for customers. Seagate aspires for HAMR technology to present an attractive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to customers, rather than shifting the burden onto consumers, thereby improving profit margins.