[x RELIC x]

Smallest battery indicator EVER!!

 

[Jobbing]

Than

so far we have finished almost 70% in R/D, but we hope we can make a better and mature products for our fans. so we still need 3- 4 months。  

Thanks for this mini update James as I do find it encouraging and assuring you're looking for improvements to accommodate FiiO fans (even if that would delay the process). Just another praise, still enjoying my X5 every day and even though I'm lurking at upcoming daps a voice in my head keeps reminding me of the efforts the FiiO team made for our community in making affordable HQ DAPs and setting the bar. I have every confidence you will do your utmost to deliver an exciting new DAP that will again exceed our expectations.

 

[WitzyZed]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/2/8131739/microsd-card-200gb-biggest-ever-sandisk

*EDIT*
don't waste your money, apparently it's $400 US

 

[HiFiChris]

Why is it 200 not 256GB?
 
Prices will drop in one to two years. When I bought my 1TB SSD about a year ago, it was 130$ more expensive than now.

 

[Dobrescu George]

considering the difference between 200 and 128 gb, it is not enough of a improovement to make the price more than double of the actual 128 gb price.
 
yet, i am very happy to see and advancement. 

 

[Mython]

128gb 48mbps Sandisk is currently  $111  (or $120 for a 95mbps Lexar 128gb)
 
and Sandisk want $400 for just another 72gb capacity?
 
 
Bunch of sharks, the memory industry. Absolute sharks.
 
 
This is why DAP makers shouldn't project presumed higher capacity card availability as a means of side-stepping shortcomings in the existing net-capacity of their DAP hardware designs.

 

[WitzyZed]

128gb 48mbps Sandisk is currently  $111  (or $120 for a 95mbps Lexar 128gb)

and Sandisk want $400 for just another 72gb capacity?


Bunch of sharks, the memory industry. Absolute sharks.


This is why DAP makers shouldn't project presumed higher capacity card availability as a means of side-stepping shortcomings in the existing net-capacity of their DAP hardware designs.

Exactly. For $400 more per unit (hypothetically), I think we could reasonably expect a company, even FiiO's size, to implement far more than 200 gb into a device.

 

[Lurker0]

  Why is it 200 not 256GB?

Because the current technology can't do more. It's obvious! Do you remember, or even know, days when there were CF cards with 5MB (megabytes) of capaciy, costing $100? I do. It was in 1995, 20 years ago. Now, this is the first time since than when a new flash card has a capacity expressed not by a power of 2. Technology has reached the physical limitations.
 
That's why full sized SD card would be a wise solution.

 

[HiFiChris]

200GB don't make sense, at least to me.
The logical steps are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2056 GB.
 
New technology is pricy, that should be clear. I remember many years ago a friend of mine bought one of the first pocket digicams an paid something between 1-2k$ for an entry-level model that had worse image quality than today's average cellphone and would cost <50$ these days.

 

[headwhacker]

I'm guessing it's a 256GB raw capacity. But as each storage cell gets smaller physically, the write/erase cycle also gets shorter. So to compensate for the cards longevity, some space must be reserved as a relief space.

 

[reihead]

  I'm guessing it's a 256GB raw capacity. But as each storage cell gets smaller physically, the write/erase cycle also gets shorter. So to compensate for the cards longevity, some space must be reserved as a relief space.

 
Some say its a 128gb card with an extra 64gb + 8gb. That makes sense given the 90mb/s speed.

 

[Lurker0]

  200GB don't make sense, at least to me.
The logical steps are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2056 GB.

Then re-read my answer By the way, 2^11=2048, not 2056

 

[HiFiChris]

Sorry, my bad, how could I come to 2056. 

 
Anyways:
 
I have read your answer but I wouldn't agree that current technology isn't capable of producing 256+GB MicroSD cards. Furthermore, I am convinced that today's technology could do that - but with a disproportionately high effort causing much higher prices that wouldnt make the whole thing worthwile.

 

[Lurker0]

I wouldn't agree that current technology isn't capable of producing 256+GB MicroSD cards

Are you an expert in this technology to have an opinion? I'm not, but I read around to learn. For instance, right after launching 128GB MicroSD by SanDisk I have read that it was not painted in red-gray because such a painting would take valuable microns of the card's thickness. Also, I remember that nobody but SanDisk was able to produce 128GB MicroSD for half a year. All these mean that technology has reached its top.

 

[HiFiChris]

I'm not but some time ago I read a post somewhere on the Internet from someone who seemed to have experience in that business. I don't know if he was trolling or not, but what I read seemed trustworthy.
It was some time after the 128GB SanDisk MicroSD card was released.
He said it would possible producing more than 515GB of capacity but wouldn't be worth in the present time as firstly, research, development etc. prices would be too high causing excessively high sales prices so customers wouldn't buy it, secondly he said that in mass production, there would be too much discard because the layers would be too thin and in production failure rate would be too high too make it lucrative.