Okay, maybe SanDisk was tired of getting beat up over its Black and Blue SSD naming convention (see what I did there!), or maybe someone in the company is simply a fan of the Transformers franchise.
Whatever the reason, the company’s SSDs will now be known as Optimus (née Blue), Optimus GX (née Black 7xxx), and Optimus GX Pro (née Black 8xxx).
For the new branding, SanDisk has significantly revised the look of the packaging and labels. They’re sexier to be sure, with a new font and striking new graphics. Said graphics remind remind me more of Tron Ares than Transformers, but hey — it’s likely to appeal to the same target audience.
Specific current model rebrands include the Blue SN5100 (now Optimus), the Black SN7100 (Now Optimus GX), and the Black SN8100 (Optimus GX Pro). The numbers will be retained in the new names, though apparently not the letter prefixes.
New small-fry SSD
Also announced was a 2230 (22mm wide, 30mm long) version of the former SN7100, the Optimus GX 7100M. This is tailored towards smaller and portable devices with expandable storage such as Steam Deck and the like.
Now someone please tell us how to avoid the desire to add a “Prime” to the monikers.