Western Digital details 14-platter 3.5-inch HAMR HDD designs with 140 TB and beyond

Western Digital has revealed plans to increase hard drive capacities to 140 TB and beyond by the 2030s through innovations like heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology and 14-platter designs. The company will start producing commercial HAMR drives next year, with capacities expected to reach 60TB in 2028. Western Digital has developed a new vertical-emitting laser technology to improve areal density and increase platter capacity. Additionally, the company is working on a 12-platter platform for 60TB drives and anticipates offering 100TB HDDs by 2029-2030. Dual-actuator HDDs with enhanced performance capabilities are also in development.