- Seagate is already testing its 40TB HAMR drives, while Toshiba eyes 2027 launch
- Toshiba’s drives use 12-disk stacking technology and Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording
- Seagate is planning 44TB models for when Toshiba’s 40TB models arrive
Back in May 2025, we reported that Seagate had shipped limited units of its 40TB HDDs built on its Mozaic HAMR platform. These drives use Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording to store 4TB per platter across ten platters, setting a new benchmark at the time for mechanical storage density.
Full-scale production is planned to begin in the first half of 2026, once extensive customer testing is complete.
At Seagate’s recent Investor and Analyst Conference, company CEO Dr. Dave Mosley explained that the ten-disk configuration offers better fleet-level efficiency for data centers, while also serving as the foundation for the company’s roadmap.
One dozen platters
Seagate said then it expected to move beyond 40TB in the coming years, with 44TB models penciled in for 2027 and 50TB drives by 2028.
Fast forward to now, and Toshiba has announced it has verified 12-disk stacking technology for hard drives, a first for the storage industry.
Its design combines the firm’s mechanical engineering experience with Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR) to reach 40TB capacities in a 3.5-inch format. Toshiba plans to launch these drives in 2027.
The new design adds two disks to the ten-disk nearline format and also replaces aluminum substrates with glass, which results in thinner platters, higher precision, and greater durability.
This can reportedly increase storage density without sacrificing either stability or reliability.
Toshiba’s engineers are also studying how this 12-disk configuration could work alongside HAMR, suggesting a hybrid direction for future products.
The company says that ultimately its goal is to provide data centers with larger capacities while maintaining a lower TCO as data demands continue to grow.
Still, by the time Toshiba’s drives reach the market, if Seagate’s roadmap comes to pass, the competition may already be moving well beyond 40TB, leaving Toshiba playing catch-up.
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