- Seagate is already testing its 40TB HAMR drives, while Toshiba is eyeing a 2027 launch
- Toshiba’s drive uses 12-disk stacking technology and microwave-assisted magnetic recording
- Seagate plans 44TB models 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 plates, setting a new benchmark at the time for mechanical bearing density.
Full-scale production is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, once extensive customer testing is complete.
At Seagate’s recent investor and analyst conference, the company’s CEO, Dr. Dave Mosley that the ten-disk configuration provides better fleet-level efficiency for data centers while serving as the foundation for the company’s roadmap.
A dozen dishes
Seagate said it expected to move beyond 40TB in the coming years, with 44TB models slated for 2027 and 50TB drives in 2028.
Fast forward to now and Toshiba has announced that it has verified 12-disk stacking technology for hard drives, a first for the storage industry.
Its design combines the company’s mechanical engineering experience with Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR) to reach 40TB capacity in a 3.5-inch format. Toshiba plans to launch these drives in 2027.
The new design adds two disks to the 10-disk nearline format and also replaces aluminum substrates with glass, resulting in thinner plates, higher precision and greater durability.
This can reportedly increase storage density without sacrificing either stability or reliability.
Toshiba engineers are also studying how this 12-disk configuration can work with HAMR, suggesting a hybrid direction for future products.
The company says its goal is ultimately to provide data centers with greater capacity while maintaining a lower TCO as data demands continue to grow.
Still, by the time Toshiba’s drives hit the market, if Seagate’s roadmap pans out, the competition could already move well above 40TB, leaving Toshiba to catch up.
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