SanDisk boosts speed and capacity for Ultra II SD memory card line

In more good news for camera enthusiasts and their memory hungry devices, Sandisk has announced the upcoming release of a 32GB SDHC card with significantly increased read and write speeds along with an 8GB version of its two-in one, USB-ready SDHC Plus line.

The new 32- and 16-gigabyte SDHC™ and 8GB SDHC Plus cards offer read and write speeds of 15 megabytes per second (15MB/sec), up from previous speeds of 10MB/sec read and 9MB/sec write in the SanDisk Ultra® II line.

The 32GB Ultra II SDHC card, the highest capacity consumer Flash memory card that SanDisk produces, stores more than 8,000 3MB photos or up to 40 hours of MPEG 4 video (640 x 480, 15 frames per second, 1536 kbps).

The 32- and 16-gigabyte SDHC cards will be bundled with the company's MicroMate™ USB 2.0 Reader to simplify transfer to PC, a feature already built-in to the 8GB Ultra II SDHC cards which incorporates a flip-open USB connector that by-passes the need to carry cables or card readers. SanDisk’s Hinge Lock design used on the card is built to survive the rigors of field use, having undergone more than 10,000 open-close cycles during durability testing.

Expected to hit the shelves in April, the 32GB SanDisk Ultra II SDHC card with MicroMate USB 2.0 Reader will sell for around USD$349.99 and the 16GB and 8GB SDHC Plus cards - available from March - will sell for USD$179.99 and USD$99.99 respectively.