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In a nutshell: SD cards are so small that you're more likely to lose them than break them. However, if you're frequently transferring these tiny units between devices, there's always a chance of damage. For this group of users, Lexar now offers what it claims are the world's first SD cards encased in durable 316 stainless steel.
The new cards are part of Lexar's "Armor" lineup, which already includes ruggedized portable SSDs and other gear designed to withstand harsh conditions. The two new stainless steel models are the Armor Gold SD UHS-II and the Armor Silver Pro SD UHS-II.
These offerings seem targeted at users who need reliable performance for mission-critical tasks, such as outdoor filming or photography, especially in challenging environments.
Lexar claims that the stainless steel armor on these new cards is bend-resistant, making them significantly more durable than plastic ones. They are also certified to the IP68 standard, ensuring full waterproof and dustproof protection.
In terms of speed, Lexar states that both the Armor Gold and Silver Pro models offer read speeds of up to 280 MB/s, utilizing PCIe 4.0 technology for seamless 8K RAW video shooting. While this performance is impressive, Lexar has another card with even faster speeds.
The newly announced Lexar Professional Gold Pro SDXC Express card can achieve a blistering read speed of up to 1,700 MB/s. It's SD 8.0 certified, making it ideal for handling large volumes of data quickly, such as when recording slow-motion videos.
The stainless steel Armor SD cards will be available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities, though pricing and availability are unknown at the time of writing.
In addition to these SD cards, Lexar showcased several other innovative storage products at IFA. Among them was the Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD with Hub, touted as a revolutionary mobile video shooting solution with speeds up to 1,050 MB/s.
The brand also introduced four new ultra-fast CFexpress 4.0 cards capable of 8K RAW video recording, including the 3,700 MB/s Professional Diamond model. Other launches included the all-in-one Workflow series, which consolidates various card readers for streamlined productivity, and the ARES RGB 2nd Gen DDR5 Desktop Memory.
More interestingly, Lexar introduced a new brand called "pexar," along with its first product – a smart Wi-Fi picture frame with a 2K anti-glare display, designed as a "shared photo album for the whole family" and intended for gifting purposes.