Seagate, a worldwide leader in storage solutions, has unveiled a new hard drive solution designed exclusively for mobile devices.

The new Ultra Mobile HDD is capable of delivering up to seven times the storage capacity of a traditional 64GB tablet with the same power, performance and reliability of a flash device, a statement said.

“Coupling an ultra-thin, high-capacity HDD with software designed to optimize integration into tablets has allowed us to deliver a truly ground-breaking solution; enabling our partners to reimagine the mobile device,” said Steve Luczo, president, CEO and chairman of Seagate.

“By empowering our OEMs with this revolutionary new technology, we have invited the industry to re-think the mobile market making this offering a true game-changer in the world of storage.”

Seagate has addressed several key areas beyond a standard laptop drive to optimize mobile applications with the Ultra Mobile HDD and its Mobile Enablement Kit. These areas include better shock management, heat, vibration and gyroscopic motion—all of which have been heavily tested to ensure the drive delivers the best experience in a tablet solution.

“When comparing side by side a tablet and a portable PC, today’s tablets are trading off storage capacity in order to realize a thin and light form factor and long battery life,” noted John Rydning, IDC’s research vice president for hard disk drives and semiconductors.

“Seagate’s new Mobile Enablement Kit will bring PC-like storage capacity to future thin and light tablet designs, and position Seagate as a potential storage solutions provider to the fast-growing tablet market.”

Leveraging the company’s experience with ultra-portable applications like iPods, MP3 players, and handheld video recorders, the newly-engineered 2.5-inch drive  is just 5mm thin while weighing in at a mere 3.3oz— about the same as a light bulb.

Featuring up to 500GB of capacity, it delivers the highest areal density available in a small, ultra-thin form factor while supporting over 100,000 photos, 125,000 songs or 62 hours of high-definition video and movies.

Seagate’s use of Dynamic Data Driver software also addresses industry challenges through a combination of system design considerations. Reduced power consumption and improved performance are achieved through an intelligent caching design that is implemented at the system level.

The software also provides drive protection through the use of enhanced motion sensor and thermal monitoring algorithms to control drive access and avoid usage conditions that might harm it. The drive is so well insulated that in many cases a dropped device’s screen would break before its hard disk drive, according to the statement.

To further support reliability for mobile devices, the Ultra Mobile HDD integrates Seagate’s own Zero Gravity Sensor providing better shock management. Incorporated power modes support the drive in sleep, standby and idle enabling it to consume as low as 0.14W and support the long battery life demanded by tablets. – TradeArabia News Service