Western Digital Corporation unveiled the first microSDTM card that meets the Application Performance Class 1 (A1) requirements from the latest SD Association’s SD 5.1 specifications. By meeting the A1 performance standard, the 256GB SanDisk Ultra® microSDXCTM UHS-I card, Premium Edition, delivers capacity, speed and enhanced capability to deliver a better smartphone experience. 256GB SanDisk Ultra® microSDXC UHS-I card, Premium Edition with Application Performance Class 1 (A1). Since the popular memory card format launched more than a decade ago, microSD cards have been instrumental in driving new segments in digital imaging like action cameras, drones, dashboard cameras and surveillance systems, and have significantly impacted the evolution of the smartphone. Approximately 75% of smartphone models on the market contain microSD slots, according to data from Strategy Analytics. The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD card offers the capacity and performance consumers need to capture all of life’s moments without having to worry about what to delete. The card can hold up to 24 hours of Full HD video3 and with premium transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s. With A1 performance, the card can launch and run apps at blazing speeds. Long used by billions to expand capacity for photos, videos, music and many other digital files, the, microSD card now must evolve to support application-intensive environments, paving the way for a new dimension of memory card performance. With the introduction of the Android Marshmallow 6 operating system, users can expand storage capacity on smartphones by selecting the microSD card as preferred or adoptable storage, which means apps can now be loaded and launched directly from the A1 microSD card. The A1 spec allows the new card to manage random read input-output access per second (IOPS) of 1,500 and write IOPS of 500, so it can quickly open apps and process accompanying tasks, such as audio, graphics, saved profiles and in-app permissions. With this in mind, the new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is designed to provide consumers a faster, more powerful app experience using cards. The new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is compatible with the SanDisk® Memory Zone app for Android, giving users an easy way to manage and back up content on their device. The app is available for free through the Google Play Store. The card will be available worldwide in January 2017 with a U.S. MSRP of $199.99.