SanDisk’s ultra-tiny USB flash drive is built to stay plugged in

SanDisk is taking “the world’s smallest” USB flash drive, giving it a USB-C connector, and… that’s it. In fact, it’s small enough that this “removable” drive shouldn’t have to be removed, the company said.

Officially, SanDisk will launch the drive next Tuesday, and a representative appearing at the 2025 Pepcom Holiday Spectacular didn’t identify the model name. The company previously introduced what it called the world’s smallest USB flash drive at CES 2018, called the Ultra Fit. At that show, it shipped with a USB-A connector but also showed off a prototype USB-C device.

In any event, the new USB drive sits perpendicular to the connector, in a change from other USB flash drives of the past. It will ship with SanDisk’s Memory Zone backup software.

On the other hand, the squat, almost flush form factor means that SanDisk doesn’t really think that users will actually remove the removable drive. “It doesn’t interrupt your daily lifestyle as you’re moving on the go,” a representative named Allison said.

Pepcom / SanDisk

“It is a really good drive that plugs in and stays in and then lives with you, so you never have to take it out,” Allison said.

Most USB flash drives are large enough that this isn’t supposed to happen. Leave a drive inserted and you risk having it snapped off by your bag, backpack, or purse. Apparently SanDisk feels those days are over.

The USB-C connector means that the new USB flash drive could be used in both laptops as well as smartphones, since the two devices now share common USB-C interfaces. Still, the USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface translates to an I/O speed of just 5Gbps, which is slower than the normal 10Gbps interface on most laptops.

The new SanDisk drive will range from 64GB for $14.99 on up to 1 terabyte for $109.99, and will be available at Amazon on Nov. 4.