Huawei has officially entered the consumer SSD market with its eKitStore Xtreme 200E series, offering a 1TB high-speed PCIe 4.0 drive for a surprisingly low price of $32.
Launched in June 2024, the eKitStore Xtreme 200E series is making waves in the industry with its competitive specifications and unprecedented pricing. The drives boast impressive read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,700 MB/s, placing them firmly in the high-performance PCIe 4.0 segment.
Internal Components & Sourcing
While the internal components remain somewhat of a mystery, the SSD uses QLC NAND and operates without DRAM. The controller and NAND manufacturers are undisclosed but likely sourced domestically, given U.S. sanctions against Huawei. Potential suppliers include YMTC for NAND and MaxioTech for controllers. Huawei might also be leveraging its server SSD expertise to develop its own controller.
Pricing and Market Impact
At 47,500 South Korean won (approximately $32) for the 1 TB model, the drive offers an unmatched price-to-performance ratio. Industry analysts question the sustainability of this pricing strategy, and whether it will be extended beyond South Korea. This move by Huawei could be an introductory or promotional effort to establish its presence in the consumer storage sector.
The launch is Huawei's latest push to expand its consumer product portfolio while navigating trade restrictions, potentially signaling a major shift in the SSD market.
